Malaysia’s online job market recorded stronger momentum in the first quarter of 2026 (Q1 2026), with the number of job vacancies advertised online increasing 6.6% to 626,861 openings, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The latest Job Market Insights report showed that demand remained concentrated in professional-level occupations, reflecting continued hiring needs across key industries.
The Professional category accounted for the largest share of online job advertisements, with 315,768 vacancies or 50.4% of total openings in Q1 2026, compared with 272,698 vacancies in the fourth quarter of 2025.
This was followed by the Managers category with 99,447 job offerings, and Technicians and Associate Professionals with 93,987 openings.
Among the most sought-after professional roles were Advertising and Marketing Professionals, which recorded 48,186 vacancies, followed by Managing Directors and Chief Executives (26,869), Administrative Associate Professionals (26,257), Accountants and Auditors (24,784), and Software Developers (20,089).
From an industry perspective, the Services sector continued to dominate online hiring demand, contributing 494,182 vacancies or 78.8% of total job offerings during the quarter.
However, its share moderated from 84.4% recorded in Q4 2025.
Within the Services sector, the Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles subsector recorded the highest number of vacancies at 176,508 openings.
This was followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities with 69,796 job offerings, Administrative and Support Service Activities with 53,784 openings, and Accommodation and Food Service Activities with 38,883 vacancies.
The Manufacturing sector also continued to contribute to employment demand, recording 41,263 online job offerings in Q1 2026.
DOSM said the quarterly data provides insights into labour market demand by monitoring online job advertisements posted through major private recruitment platforms, highlighting the occupations and industries driving hiring activity in Malaysia.
