Malaysia’s Labour Demand Rises 1.8 Per Cent In First Quarter Of 2026
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s labour market continued to record positive growth as total labour demand increased by 1.8 per cent year-on-year to 9.23 million jobs in the first quarter of 2026.
Mohd Uzir Mahidin, Malaysia’s Chief Statistician, said the growth reflected the resilience of the national economy despite ongoing global uncertainties caused by the West Asia conflict and disruptions in international supply chains.
According to him, early government measures including the rationalisation of fuel subsidies also helped stabilise the domestic economy while supporting employment growth.
“Out of the total recorded jobs, 9.03 million or 97.9 per cent were filled, while the remaining 2.1 per cent remained vacant. A total of 32,700 new jobs were also created during the first quarter of this year,” he said in a statement.
He noted that the increase in filled positions was driven by positive expansion across nearly all economic sectors, with the services sector continuing to lead overall employment growth.
The Services sector recorded growth of 2.7 per cent and accounted for 4.82 million jobs or 53.3 per cent of all filled positions nationwide.
This was followed by the Manufacturing sector with 2.41 million jobs representing 26.7 per cent, while the Construction sector contributed 1.25 million jobs or 13.9 per cent.
By skill category, semi-skilled workers made up the majority of filled jobs, accounting for 5.62 million positions or 62.2 per cent of the total workforce.
Meanwhile, skilled workers represented 2.28 million jobs while low-skilled workers accounted for 1.13 million positions.
Regarding job vacancies, Mohd Uzir said Malaysia recorded 194,800 vacant positions, with the Manufacturing sector continuing to register the highest number.
According to him, the sector contributed 113,000 vacancies or 58 per cent of total job openings nationwide.
The highest vacancies were recorded in the electrical, electronics and optical products subsector with 34,900 openings, followed by petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products with 18,900 vacancies.
In addition, the Agriculture sector recorded 32,000 vacancies while the Services sector registered 24,600 unfilled positions.
For newly created jobs, the Services sector once again emerged as the largest contributor with 15,900 new positions or 48.6 per cent of total job creation.
The wholesale and retail trade subsector became the biggest contributor within the sector, generating 9,300 new jobs.
Meanwhile, the Manufacturing and Construction sectors recorded 11,900 and 3,200 newly created jobs respectively during the same period.
At the same time, semi-skilled occupations continued to dominate employment growth with 21,000 new positions or 64.1 per cent of all newly created jobs.
Mohd Uzir said businesses in Malaysia remained resilient despite facing challenges from rising energy prices and global shipping costs that continued to pressure profit margins.
He added that the trend was consistent with the increase in Malaysia’s employed population, which also recorded one per cent year-on-year growth during the same period.
Economic analysts viewed the latest figures as a sign that Malaysia’s labour market remains on stable footing despite continuing geopolitical uncertainty and rising operational costs globally.
-wilayah.com.my
