20th August 2026 - 2 min read
The number of job offerings advertised online fell 11.4% to 555,509 in the second quarter of 2026, down from 626,861 in the first quarter, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM) Job Market Insights report.
Despite the drop, the number of companies advertising job openings rose slightly to 79,510 from 79,499 in the previous quarter.
Professionals accounted for the largest share of online job offerings at 51.5%, or 285,907 positions, down 9.5% from 315,768 in the first quarter. Managers followed with 87,950 offerings, while technicians and associate professionals recorded 86,512.
Among individual occupations, advertising and marketing professionals were the most sought after with 40,640 job offerings, followed by managing directors and chief executives with 26,649, administrative associate professionals with 23,984, accountants and auditors with 22,067, and software developers with 19,899.
Elementary occupations, which cover roles like cleaners, labourers and general helpers, were the only major occupational group to grow, rising from 4,070 offerings in the first quarter to 4,646 in the second.
The services sector accounted for the largest share of online job offerings, with 243,896 positions or 43.9% of the total.
Within the sector, wholesale and retail trade, along with motor vehicle repair, recorded the highest number of offerings at 78,526, followed by professional, scientific and technical activities with 32,127, administrative and support services with 28,788, accommodation and food services with 20,629, and financial and insurance activities with 20,593.
Despite the decline in online job postings, Malaysia’s broader employment picture remained positive in the second quarter. Total employment grew 1.6% year-on-year to 9.25 million, according to DOSM’s Employment Statistics report, while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.0% in June.
This shows that employers were still hiring, although some recruitment may have taken place through channels other than online job ads, such as referrals or direct company outreach.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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