Most employers in Malaysia remain cautious on hiring at the moment as the number of Covid-19 cases remain higher than anticipated, as well as the emergence of the new variant Omicron, reports The Malaysian Reserve. Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said a majority of employers are waiting for January 2022 to embark on hiring new staff and using the available incentives under Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family Job Guarantee). Husman said with the resumption of operations, the concern of most employers is to ensure adequate supply of manpower, so that industry can operate at optimum capacity. "Though the government's decision to open up the economy provided employers with the motivation for recovery, the shortage of manpower in sectors shunned by locals is hindering such efforts," Husman added. "Employers have serious concerns on the issue of manpower shortage, especially for critical sectors such as the plantation, construction, manufacturing, food and beverage, tourism and large retailers," he said. While the Federation supports efforts to reduce dependence on foreign workers in certain sectors, Husman said the government should address this complex matter on a sectoral basis as many sectors also depend of foreign labour.