Malaysia’s Hiring Landscape in July 2025: foundit insights tracker 

Overview of hiring activity in Malaysia 

The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) for Malaysia fell 3% month-on-month in July 2025. On a year-on-year basis, hiring was 20% lower, while the 3-month and 6-month trends were +3% and -1%, indicating a cautious hiring climate with only tentative near-term stabilisation. 

Malaysia Hiring Trends in July 2025 Download

Hiring trends by industry (YoY) 

3 of 10 industries recorded positive annual growth in hiring  

In demand 

• Hospitality & Travel (+11%) – Supported by a strong tourism rebound. 
    

• Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+10%) – Backed by big ticket public infrastructure in the pipeline.  
   

• Oil & Gas (+1%) – Stable demand, tracking steady upstream services and maintenance cycles. 

Facing challenges 

• Retail (-50%) – Hiring remains weak even as official wholesale/retail sales show mid-single-digit growth, implying consolidation and productivity focus in hiring.  

• BFSI (-47%) – Banks stay selective amid margin pressure and cost discipline. 
   

• IT/Telecom/ BPO (-33%) & Logistics/Shipping (-18%) – External-demand risks and tech budget scrutiny weigh on volumes. 

Hiring trends by functional area (YoY) 

2 of 10 functional areas saw annual growth in hiring 

In demand 

• IT (+10%) – Ongoing digitisation agendas, cloud and security needs. 
   

• Engineering/Production (+9%) – Capacity adds in construction/industrial projects. 

Facing challenges 

• Sales & BD (-32%), Hospitality roles (-30%), Finance & Accounts (-22%), HR & Admin (-18%), Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (-17%) – Firms are prioritising efficiency and targeted backfills over broad expansion. 

Short-term signals 

• Customer Service (+11% MoM) and Retail (+4% MoM) ticked up, hinting at near-term stabilisation in consumer-facing hiring even as YoY comps stay weak. 

About the foundit insights tracker 

The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) Malaysia, earlier known as the Monster Employment Index, is a leading guide to the country’s e-recruitment landscape. By examining millions of job listings, fit provides timely insights into hiring activity across industries and functions.