THE average monthly salary and wages received by employees in the country increased by 4.4% from RM3,087 in 2018 to RM3,224 last year.

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the data was obtained from the 2019 Salaries and Wages Survey Report published by the Statistics Department today.

“The increase in salaries and wages in 2019 was in line with Malaysia’s economic performance, which recorded 4.4% growth at current prices in 2019,” he said.

The report provides the main statistics for salaries and wages, namely the monthly median and mean based on demography and socio-economic situation.

Uzir said salary and wage recipients in Malaysia totalled 9.2 million last year, up by 5% from 8.8 million people in 2018.

The median monthly salary and wage recorded an increase from RM2,308 in 2018 to RM2,441 in 2019, an increase of 5.8%.

“In 2019, the median salary and wage received by male employees was RM2,477 and female employees RM2,370, which saw an increase of 5.8% and 6.8% respectively, compared with 2018.

“The mean monthly salary and wage for male employees increased by 4.1% to RM3,304 and for female employees by 5% to RM3,108 compared with the previous year.

“Meanwhile, the median and mean monthly salaries and wages for employees with tertiary education remained high, with 6.9% and 2% growth, respectively,” said Uzir.

The report also shows the median and mean monthly salaries and income for employees in urban areas rise by 6.2% to RM2,565 compared with rural areas, which rose to RM1,560 at a rate of 5.3%.

Meanwhile, the mean monthly salary and wage showed a reversing trend, whereby the percentage change in rural areas was higher at 6% compared with employees in urban areas with 4% in 2019.

Uzie said it is expected that the Covid-19 pandemic will affect this year’s salaries and wages, especially in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, transportation and storage sectors.

“Besides that, the accommodation industry, food and beverage services, and the arts, entertainment and recreational sectors are also expected to be affected by the enforcement of the movement control order,” he added. – Bernama, September 17, 2020.