AS many as 42,166 people secured employment, while 1,200 new jobs were created in January, said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said this proves that the JaminKerja Keluarga Malaysia initiative is on track to achieve its aim of creating 600,000 jobs this year.

This success shows that the economy is recovering further following the reopening of more economic and social sectors, he added.

“Looking back at the success achieved in 2021, the government with the cooperation of various ministries, implementing agencies and the private sector has succeeded in creating 558,633 employment opportunities.

“This is 112% of the target set, and the government is confident that this success can be repeated with a higher target in 2022.”

He said the government will strengthen the employment ecosystem through the establishment of a one-stop employment placement centre to monitor the success of every job application.

This initiative will complement the MYFutureJobs platform, which makes it easier for employers to offer jobs and jobseekers to apply for jobs and get appointment dates for interviews.

He said the government views seriously work-related issues like staff shortage in certain sectors, equitable employment opportunities, social protection for workers and marketability of graduates.

To reduce foreign worker dependency, the prime minister said the quota and multi-tiered levy system will be used, while the support of employers is necessary to balance the impact of manpower shortage in the post-pandemic period.

The Human Resources Ministry has also been told to draw up a strategy specifically to increase employment opportunities for youth, as the unemployment rate for this group stands at 80.3%, he added. – Bernama, March 3, 2022.