Malaysia’s Hiring Landscape in September 2025: foundit Insights Tracker 

Overview of Hiring Activity 

The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) for Malaysia rose 1% month-on-month in September 2025, signalling a mild recovery in hiring activity. However, hiring remained 15% lower year-on-year, indicating that overall sentiment is still subdued. 

The 3-month trend (0%) shows flat momentum, while the 6-month trend (+6%) reflects a gradual improvement as employers cautiously resume expansion plans. 

Malaysia Hiring Trends in Sep 2025 Download

Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change) 

Four of the eleven industries monitored by fit registered annual growth in September. 

In demand  

• Logistics, Courier/Freight/Transportation & Shipping (+24%) – Supply chain and e-commerce logistics continue to drive robust demand for operations and fleet roles. 

• Hospitality & Travel (+8%) – Steady domestic tourism and recovery in events sustain hiring momentum. 

• Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+6%) – Infrastructure and urban redevelopment projects are supporting demand for engineers and project managers. 

Facing challenges 

• IT, Telecom/ISP and  BPO/ITES (−39%) – Persistent spending caution and outsourcing slowdowns weigh heavily on recruitment. 

• Retail (−25%) – Consumer sentiment remains fragile, with hiring limited to essential retail operations. 

• BFSI (−15%) – Hiring moderation continues as firms prioritise automation and cost efficiency. 

• Oil & Gas (−15%) – Prolonged price volatility restrains upstream hiring. 

• Advertising & Media (−15%) – Marketing budgets remain conservative across sectors. 

• Production/Manufacturing (−2%) – Hiring stabilises in line with modest output recovery. 

Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change) 

Five of the ten occupational categories monitored by tracker showed year-on-year growth. 

In demand 

• Engineering/Production (+10%) – Industrial and construction activity continues to lift technical hiring. 

• HR & Admin (+15%) – Workforce restructuring and compliance roles drive steady demand. 

• Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (+12%) – Supply-chain optimisation remains a hiring bright spot. 

Facing challenges 

• Customer Service (−46%) – Hiring remains sharply down amid automation and support-centre consolidation. 

• IT (−25%) – Tech recruitment slows further as firms optimise headcount. 

• Hospitality Roles (−38%YoY but positive MoM) – Hiring remains weak despite sectoral recovery. 

• Sales & Business Development (−10%) – Employers maintain leaner frontline teams. 

• Marketing & Communications (−8%) – Spending discipline limits new 

 Mandates. 

• Finance & Accounts (−7%) – Incremental hiring for reporting and audit cycles offsets prior declines. 

Why the Mixed Signals? 

Macro headwinds: Global trade softness and sectoral cost discipline continue to dampen large-scale hiring, even as local consumption steadies. 

Selective resilience: Logistics, engineering, and HR functions show structural stability, reflecting investment in essential operations and compliance. 

Efficiency over expansion: BFSI, IT, and retail sectors remain focused on productivity gains over workforce growth. 

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 provides timely intelligence on hiring activity across industries and functional areas.