1.  INTRODUCTION

This publication presents the Employment and Salaries & Wages Statistics obtained from Annual Economic Survey 2018 for reference year 2017 covers employees working in the formal private sector in Malaysia. In this publication, the Employment and Salaries & Wages Statistics are analysed from various dimensions.

 2.  NUMBER OF EMPLOYMENT

The number of workers in 2017 were estimated at 9,617 thousand persons, increased 4.9 per cent annually as compared to 8,732 thousand persons in 2015. From the overall employment in 2017, there were 6,566 thousand male workers and 3,051 thousand female workers.

In 2017, paid employees accounted for 88.0 per cent (8,464 thousand) from the overall workers in formal private sector, decreased 2.4 percentage points as against 90.4 per cent in 2015 (7,893 thousand). Most of these paid employees were full-time employees (8,224 thousand;  97.2%) and the rest were part-time employees (240 thousand; 2.8%) who work less than 6 hours a day or less than 20 days in a month.

From the perspective of economic activity, workers in Malaysia largely concentrated in Services sector with 5,169 thousand persons (53.7%). Meanwhile, Manufacturing and Construction sectors recorded 2,215 thousand (23.0%) and 1,330 thousand  persons (13.8%)  respectively. All sectors shows an increase of employment in 2017 as compared to 2015 except for Mining & quarrying which recorded a decline of 9.8 per cent annually.  (Exhibit 1)

Exhibit 1: Employment by Economic Activity, 2015 & 2017

Full-time paid employees by category shows that Clerical & related occupations recorded the highest number of employees with 5,045 thousand persons (61.3%) in 2017. This category includes Clerical support workers; Service & sales workers; Skilled agricultural, forestry, livestock & fishery workers; Craft & related trades workers as well as Plant & machine operators & assemblers. Meanwhile, occupational category of Managers, professionals & researchers were 1,213 thousand persons (14.7%) while 763 thousand persons (9.3%) were Technicians & associate professionals. Elementary occupations were 1,203 thousand persons accounted for 14.6 per cent from the overall full-time paid employees in 2017.  (Exhibit 2)

Exhibit 2: Employment by Occupational Category, 2015 & 2017

In 2017, skilled workers comprised of 24.0 per cent (1,976 thousand), increased 0.5 percentage points as compared to 23.5 per cent (1,803 thousand) in 2015. Semi-skilled workers which was the largest category of occupational skill recorded a declined in percentage share to record 61.3 per cent (5,045  thousand) as against 61.9 per cent (4,742 thousand) in 2015. Meanwhile, low-skilled workers  accounted for 14.6 per cent (1,203 thousand) in 2017.  (Exhibit 3)

Exhibit 3: Employment by Skill Level, 2015 & 2017

3.  SALARIES & WAGES

The total salaries & wages paid in 2017 amounted to RM284,749 million increased 2.0 per cent as against 2015 (RM245,696 million). Services sector recorded the highest salaries & wages paid which was RM152,179 million (53.4%) followed by Manufacturing with RM74,881 million (26.3%) and Construction (RM39,194 million; 13.8%). Meanwhile, Agriculture and Mining & quarrying registered salaries & wages paid of RM10,356 million (3.6%) and RM8,139 million (2.9%) respectively.  (Exhibit 4)

Exhibit 4: Salaries & Wages by Economic Activity, 2015 & 2017

In 2017, on average, workers earned monthly salaries & wages of RM2,804 (2015: RM2,594) with a growth of 4.0 per cent annually. Workers in Mining & quarrying earned the highest average monthly salaries & wages at RM10,146 (2015: RM7,980) followed by Services and Manufacturing with the average monthly salaries & wages of RM2,917 and RM2,870 respectively. In addition, workers in Construction and Agriculture earned average monthly salaries & wages of RM2,499 and RM1,519 respectively.  (Exhibit 5)

Exhibit 5: Average Monthly Salaries & Wages by Economic Activity, 2015 & 2017

Average monthly salaries & wages by occupational categories shows Managers, professionals & researchers earned the highest monthly salaries & wages of RM7,238 (2015: RM6,685) followed by Technicians & associate professionals at RM3,808 (2015: RM3,517). Meanwhile, category of Clerical & related occupations and Elementary occupations received monthly salaries & wages of RM1,976 (2015: RM1,862) and RM1,499 (2015: RM1,396).  (Exhibit 6)

Exhibit 6: Average Monthly Salaries & Wages of Full-time Paid Employees, 2015 & 2017

4.  EMPLOYMENT AND SALARIES & WAGES BY STATE

Composition of workers by state shows Selangor recorded the highest percentage share of  employees at 25.1 per cent (2,418  thousand) followed by W.P. Kuala Lumpur (16.7%; 1,603 thousand) and Johor (14.1%; 1,358 thousand). For Selangor and W.P. Kuala Lumpur,  workers  were  mostly concentrated in the Services sector, while workers in Johor were focused in the Manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, W.P. Labuan and Perlis recorded the lowest percentage contribution of 0.2 per cent (23 thousand) and 0.4 percent (36 thousand) respectively.

In terms of salaries & wages, Selangor registered the highest paid of RM83,779 million (29.4%) in 2017 as compared to RM72,682 million (29.6%) in 2015. This was followed by W.P. Kuala Lumpur (RM64,060 million; 22.5%) and Johor (RM33,684 million; 11.8%). On the contrary, Perlis and W.P. Labuan showed the lowest salaries & wages of RM671 million (0.2%) and RM770 million  (0.3%) respectively as shown in Exhibit 7.

Exhibit 7: Employment and Salaries & Wages by State, 2015 & 2017

Exhibit 7: Employment and Salaries & Wages by State, 2015 & 2017 (cont.)

Note:  

    Annual growth rate 2015 - 2017
¹      includes smallholders in oil palm industry
^a      inclusive of W.P. Labuan
^b      inclusive of W.P. Putrajaya

Released By:

DATO' SRI DR. MOHD UZIR MAHIDIN
CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA
 DrUzir_Mahidin    Dr_Uzir

30 December 2019

Contact person:

Rohaida binti Mohamad 
Public Relation Officer
Strategic Communication and International Division
Department of Statistics, Malaysia
Tel : +603-8885 7942
Fax : +603-8888 9248
Email : rohaida.mohamad[at]dosm.gov.my