The Talent Outlook in Malaysia: What You Need to Know from the Latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey
The job market in Asia Pacific is heating up, and if you're an HR leader or business owner in Malaysia, it’s time to sharpen your hiring strategy.
According to the Q2 2025 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the APAC region reports the strongest hiring outlook globally, with a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 30%. This means employers expecting to hire outweigh those planning to downsize, a promising sign for growth-oriented businesses like yours.
But what does this mean for Malaysia, and more importantly, what actions should you take now? Let’s break it down.
A Region on the Rise, but What About Malaysia?
While Malaysia's specific NEO was not listed in this quarter’s summary, we are part of a region where countries like India (43%), China (32%), and Singapore (27%) are driving strong hiring momentum. The tech sector alone reports a 42% hiring outlook, the highest among industries in APAC.
In Malaysia, our ICT sector is growing, and this aligns well with the tech hiring trend across APAC.
What’s Driving Hiring?
If you’re planning to hire soon, you’re not alone. The top reasons APAC employers are expanding their teams include:
Company growth (42%)
New ventures requiring new roles (33%)
Tech advancements needing more expertise (31%)
This aligns with what we’re seeing on the ground in Malaysia: companies expanding post-pandemic, embracing digitalization, and launching new products or services that require fresh talent.
What Should You Be Doing Now?
Here are 4 action points to consider for your Q2-Q3 hiring plans:
1. Don’t Delay Hiring Decisions
In a high-demand market, top talent doesn’t stay available for long. Streamline your recruitment process. Partner with a workforce solutions provider (like us!) who can quickly tap into active and passive talent pools.
2. Consider Contract & Project-Based Talent
If economic uncertainty is causing hesitation, contract hiring can offer flexibility without long-term commitments. It’s also a great way to evaluate talent before full-time conversion.
3. Upskill & Reskill Internally
If you're struggling to find external talent, especially in IT, engineering, or digital, your best bet might be internal. Launch internal mobility or training programmes. Remember, only 27% of workers globally say they have a career plan. Show them one.
4. Optimize for Gen Z Expectations
According to our Gen Z white paper, 47% of Gen Z plan to leave their roles within 6 months. To retain young talent, offer purpose-driven roles, hybrid work options, and continuous learning opportunities.
What’s Holding Others Back?
For employers who anticipate staffing cuts this quarter, economic uncertainty is the main reason (37%), followed by market changes and organizational restructuring.
If you’re in this group, consider workforce agility strategies, such as a Build-Operate-Transfer model, Managed Services, or Talent-as-a-Service to help reduce costs while keeping critical operations running.
How can a recruitment agency help you?
A recruitment agency like Manpower can play a pivotal role in helping your business navigate today’s competitive and fast-moving job market. With top talent in high demand across Malaysia, especially in tech, digital, and engineering roles, speed and access to quality candidates are critical. Manpower connects you with both active and passive job seekers through an extensive talent network, helping you fill roles faster and more efficiently. Whether you’re scaling up quickly or managing growth cautiously, we tailor solutions that match your hiring pace and strategic goals.
Beyond recruitment, Manpower supports workforce agility through flexible staffing models such as contract hiring, project-based placements, and Talent-as-a-Service, which are ideal for companies facing economic uncertainty or undergoing restructuring. We also partner with clients on internal upskilling and reskilling initiatives, helping you build capabilities from within when external talent is scarce. Whether you’re preparing for Gen Z workforce expectations or transforming your operations, we’re here to help you stay future-ready.
Email us at [email protected] if you need further information regarding hiring.