The number of job opportunities saw an 18% rise in Malaysia in the third quarter of 2021 when compared to the same period in 2020, according to research from Michael Page.

The research found growth in opportunities within the marketing (up 45%) and engineering & manufacturing (up 22%) sectors.

Paul Cooper, Managing Director of Michael Page Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam said, "Marketing in Malaysia's B2C space is really driving the demand for these professionals as organisations are trying to engage directly with their customers. The pandemic brought about massive changes in consumer patterns and the leading players want to establish a direct link with their customer and decrease their reliance on third party e-commerce platforms."

Cooper added that this has created a demand for digital marketing, data analysts and product managers who can secure customer engagement through relevant influencers and open new online marketplaces for brands.

According to Michael Page, while jobs in Malaysia are on the increase, the current employment demands in the Malaysian market are challenged by a limited talent pool and skills shortage. This has increased the opportunities for specialist contractors as a viable solution for businesses to manage their talent work flow. An increased number of companies are using Malaysia's growing contracting workforce to stay agile, keep their existing up to date and close any skill gaps within.

In Singapore, the number of jobs rose in Q3 2021 compared to Q3 2020 by 21%. The increase was led by growth in job opportunities across certain key sectors from last year namely engineering & manufacturing (up 48%), digital (up 27%) and technology (up 17%).

Nilay Khandelwal, Managing Director of Michael Page Singapore said, "These optimistic figures are indicative of the market conditions in Singapore improving and will continue to hold ground because we foresee various industries to be on the rise. Companies have recognised that securing the right talent is what will give them the competitive edge. In order to do so, a number have a clear indication of what skills they require and have adopted a good attraction strategy which goes beyond just high salaries."

Meanwhile in the Philippines, the number of job opportunities rose in Q3 2021 compared to Q2 with an overall 13% increase. Quarterly growth was also noted within sectors such as technology (up 37%), engineering & manufacturing (up 32%) and finance (up 10%).

Albert Pérez, Regional Director of Michael Page Philippines said, "Companies in the Philippines have adapted to the pandemic and are going ahead with their previously-paused business plans. These roles are for business-critical positions at the middle to top management level. In these uncertain times, strong business leadership is required to drive organisational change and grow as more have to manage transformation brought about by the pandemic."