Over 100,000 job vacancies yet no takers

Written by New Straits Time Wednesday, 14 January 2009 00:00

SEREMBAN: More than 100,000 vacancies in various fields in the public and private sectors nationwide offered through the www.jobsmalaysia.gov.my portal have yet to be filled.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said the lack of uptake was mainly because fresh graduates or job seekers were too choosy and felt that the jobs offered did not meet their interests.

"There are about 39,000 employers who had advertised more than 100,000 vacancies nationwide, while the reception from job seekers has not been encouraging.

"Most seem to be waiting for more attractive offers or those most suited with their fields of study, while a number of graduates were not interested and wanted to further their studies," she said at a press conference after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between East West College and City & Guilds, United Kingdom here, recently.

On another issue, Maznah said the unemployment rate in the country had dropped from 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of last year to 3.1 per cent in the final quarter.

"The unemployment rate in the country is not serious as there are numerous vacancies available.

"It is only the unemployed who are being selective and do not want to take up the offers.

"The ministry is continuously organising programmes to attract these job seekers to take up the numerous offers available."

Among the programmes, she said, were the registration and placement of workers through the portal and also the setting up of the Jobs Malaysia Centre and organising career carnivals nationwide.

Maznah also urged job-seekers to enhance their skills by enrolling in skills training programmes in an effort to meet the growing demands of the sector.

"At present, we only have about 28 per cent of skilled workforce which has to be increased to between 45 and 50 per cent by the next ten years," she added.