Job ads online hit almost 160,000 in first quarter of 2022

Job vacancies advertised online in the country soared to 159,148 in the first quarter of 2022 (Q1 2022) compared to 90,218 in the same quarter last year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said on a monthly basis for the first quarter of 2022, the number of vacancies advertised online was the highest in February at 67,172 vacancies.

“Meanwhile, for January and March, a total of 48,924 and 43,052 vacancies were advertised respectively,” he said in a statement in conjunction with the release of the Job Vacancies Landscape in Malaysia, First Quarter of 2022 today.

The quarterly analysis features statistics compiled based on job vacancies advertised online by several private recruitment portals.

The analysis also provides information on job vacancies offered by employers online from various aspects such as job type, job profile, location, industry, skills and field of study.

Uzir said in the first quarter of 2022, most employers required workers in the professional category (44.9%) followed by technicians and associate professionals (17.7%) and managers (11.3%).

By ranking, the five most popular jobs offered during the reference period were advertising and marketing professionals, administrative associate professionals, managing directors and CEOs, accountants, auditors and software developers.

“Meanwhile, from an economic perspective, the wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles sector became the main sector contributing to the job vacancies offered for jobseekers in the first quarter of 2022.

“The other four sectors with the highest job supply were manufacturing; professional, scientific and technical activities; financial and insurance/takaful activities; and accommodation and food service activities,” he said.

The three jobs in the technical and vocational education and training category that recorded the highest number of vacancies were advertising and marketing professionals, administrative associate professionals and software developers.

Advertising and marketing professionals, managing directors and CEOs as well as accountants and auditors were the highest critical occupation list category jobs advertised online during the reference period.

“In addition, popular jobs offered in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics category were for technicians, graphic designers and software engineers,” he said.

Observing job vacancies by state in the first quarter of 2022, Uzir said Kuala Lumpur recorded the highest number of job vacancies at 42.7% followed by Selangor (16.9%), Johor (7.3%), Penang (3.9%) and Melaka (1.7%).

“Analysis of the number of vacancies advertised online in the first quarter of 2022 shows that the economy is still in a period of recovery, in tandem with the transition from the pandemic to endemic phase.

“With this transition, all economic sectors and borders have been opened in stages and are expected to reduce the impact of the pandemic, revive the country’s economy and create more job opportunities to be filled by jobseekers,” he added.