Online hiring across Malaysia reported a year-on-year growth of 16%, according to the latest foundit Insights Tracker, as the index climbed from 69 in Oct 2022 to 80 in Oct 2023.

Additionally, a month-on-month analysis also indicated an increase reflecting a positive job market. The rising index values reveal a thriving labour market that will benefit employers and job seekers alike, foundit stated.

Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit, said, "Our findings indicate a strong momentum and a promising future for Malaysia's labour market. However, in this competitive landscape, companies are emphasising on individuals with specialised skills. Hence, job seekers must always be aware of the changing demands of the industry and equip themselves with the required skills. Upskilling and continuous learning will be the key to unlocking new opportunities and thriving in this dynamic landscape."

The hospitality and retail industries continue to lead the way among the industries, showing steady growth. The hospitality industry saw growth of 111%, driven by Malaysia's booming tourism industry, which draws an increasing number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Similarly, the retail industry at 108% marked noteworthy progress in e-recruitment owing to the huge retail sales. Being next in the rung, engineering, construction, and real estate industries also saw an increase in October 2023 with a 42% rise in the hiring activity due to infrastructure developments, government policies, and rapid urbanisation plans of Malaysia. 

The oil and gas industry, along with BFSI, IT, Telecom/ISP, and BPO/ITES, recorded a substantial deceleration in hiring activity, with an annual decrease of 11%, 9% and 6%, respectively. This trend can be attributed to economic slowdowns, or uncertainties that lead to reduced investments and lower demand for services.

In terms of functional roles, hospitality & travel jobs continued to witness significant demand in Oct 2023, with a gain of 169% driven by international tourism. This economic recovery created an online demand for other job roles, such as sales & business development (44%) and marketing & communications (12%) as well. 

Roles in customer service (-24%) were the sole function to exhibit a decline. Several reasons can be attributed to this, including the advancements in technology that have led to the implementation of automated customer service systems such as chatbots and self-service portals.

The foundit Insights Tracker is a comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity conducted by foundit. Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of online career outlets, the foundit Insights Tracker (FIT) presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide.