Overview of Hiring Activity
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) for Malaysia slipped 1% month-on-month in August 2025, extending a cautious trend. Hiring was 17% lower year-on-year, while the 3-month trend (-4%) stayed soft even as the 6-month trend (+3%) hinted at tentative stabilisation. Employers remain selective, balancing margin pressures with the need to preserve key capabilities.
Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)
3 of 11 industries saw annual growth in August.
In demand
- Hospitality & Travel (+11%) – Tourism and events continue to underpin steady recruitment across accommodation and leisure services.
- Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+10%) – Big-ticket infrastructure and property upgrades sustain demand for project and site talent.
- Oil & Gas (+1%) – Upstream services and maintenance cycles support modest hiring.
Facing challenges
- Retail (-50%) – Deep contraction reflects store rationalisation and productivity focus despite mid-single-digit sales growth.
- BFSI (-47%) – Banks maintain strict cost controls and selective expansion.
- IT, Telecom/ISP & BPO/ITES (-36%) – Tech budget caution and subdued global outsourcing volumes weigh on recruitment.
- Logistics & Shipping (-18%) – External-demand risks continue to pressure hiring.
- Advertising/Media (-17%) and Others (-45%) – Marketing spend and discretionary projects remain conservative.
- Production/Manufacturing (0%) – Hiring flat despite stable output.
Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)
3 of 10 functional areas posted growth.
In demand
- IT (+10%) – Ongoing digitisation, cloud, and security agendas sustain hiring in technology roles.
- Engineering/Production (+9%) – Capital projects and industrial capacity adds support workforce expansion.
- Customer Service (-9% YoY but +15% MoM) – Significant month-on-month lift signals near-term stabilisation in consumer-facing demand.
Facing challenges
- Hospitality Roles (-30%) – Hotels and F&B remain cautious despite tourism gains.
- Sales & Business Development (-32%) – Firms prioritise efficiency over large-scale field additions.
- Finance & Accounts (-22%) and HR & Admin (-18%) – Support functions stay lean.
- Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (-17%) – Freight softness limits new roles.
- Marketing & Communications (-13%) – Brands continue to scrutinise spend.
- Others (-5%) – Mixed hiring depending on niche skills.
Why the mixed signals?
- Macro caution: Slower export growth and fragile external demand are tempering hiring appetites, even as domestic tourism and infrastructure lend support.
- Cost discipline: Financial services and retail are pulling back to protect margins.
- Selective investment: IT, engineering, and customer service show resilience as organisations focus on core operations and service levels rather than broad expansion.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) Malaysia, formerly the Monster Employment Index, is a leading barometer of the country’s e-recruitment landscape. By analysing millions of job postings, fit offers timely intelligence on hiring activity across industries and functional areas.
