Work, Jobs & Livelihoods

Malaysia's labor market faces multiple transitions from automation, demographic shifts, and changing work patterns. Our research examines youth unemployment and skills mismatches despite higher education expansion, the rise of gig economy and platform work affecting social protection, minimum wage adequacy and implementation across sectors, migrant worker contributions and their rights protection, and gender gaps in workforce participation and career advancement.
As Malaysia navigates future of work challenges while ensuring inclusive growth, we analyze reskilling and upskilling pathways for displaced workers, social insurance reforms for non-standard employment, labor productivity improvements without job losses, mechanisms for reducing reliance on low-skilled foreign labor, and strategies for creating high-value jobs while protecting vulnerable workers including those in informal sectors across urban and rural Malaysia.