‘How are people surviving this job market honestly?’: Malaysians vent over rising demands and stagnant pay

MALAYSIA: People are taking it online to express their frustration with the demanding job market, coupled with challenging economic conditions.

Essentially, the discussion is about how difficult the job market has become, especially for junior and mid-level workers. Malaysia’s jobless rate rose in April to a six-month high, as the increase in unemployed people outpaced hirings, as reported by The Edge; this does not inspire confidence among job seekers.

Quoted from The Edge, uncertainties arising from the global energy crisis, geopolitical developments, and external demand conditions may affect the pace of economic expansion and labour market performance, the DOSM cautioned.

Malaysia’s unemployment rate rose to 3.0% in April 2026, the highest level in six months, as the number of people seeking employment grew faster than the number of jobs created.

Despite this increase, the labour market remains relatively strong by international standards, with economists generally viewing a 3% unemployment rate as close to full employment, indicating that almost everyone who wants to work and is able to work can find a job within a reasonable period of time.

Due to the economic uncertainty, people are suggesting taking a job to survive and planning for comfort later:

“Find a job you feel you can survive in for a while and that pays ‘enough’, and hope that you can advance in it or that what you learn can help at another job,” and “I hate my call center job, but it pays the bills and for my hobbies, so I’ll have to stick with it as much as I can for as long as I can.”

On the other hand, people are questioning why the job market is so demanding, yet the pay is deemed unfair.

“Gahhhhh! The job market now really macam. We want someone young, experienced, creative, and strategic who can do 7 roles at once, is willing to work weekends, and knows AI, video editing, social media, data, sales, events, and copywriting. Salary: RM3.8k.”

Based on the report, Malaysia’s unemployment remains relatively low overall, but job creation appears to be slowing. In such an environment, it may be prudent to secure available opportunities rather than adopt a prolonged wait-and-see approach, as future openings could become more competitive.