COVID-19 has expectedly brought economic upheaval on local businesses all around. In Sarawak and Sabah, we also witnessed vast social changes alongside the changing magnitude of the crisis. 

In reference to the ‘COVID-19 Business Confidence Report 2020’ conducted by SarawakJobs and SabahJobs on 265 companies in East Malaysia, 82% of the local East Malaysia companies endured declining revenues for the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the first quarter in 2019. Most companies are compelled to make swift decisions on cost-cutting measures to cope with the evolving crisis, and this resulted in the restructuring of their company’s human resources or reduction of allocated budget for recruitment activities. All of which had brought notable changes to the local workforce. 

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EAST MALAYSIA WORKFORCE

Question: Share with us the changes at work that you have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As we enter the 4th Quarter of 2020, SarawakJobs and SabahJobs conducted another survey on social media with 1,433 participants from the local workforce. The results reveal that 59% experience changes brought about by COVID-19, while 35% are already unemployed even before the pandemic hits, leaving 6% of the local workforce remain unaffected of the pandemic.  

CHANGES BROUGHT BY COVID-19 TO EAST MALAYSIA WORKFORCE

Question: Share with us the changes at work that you have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Among those who continue to work, a notable amount of employees experience an unfortunate effect on the progression of their role: 36% underwent retrenchment; 34% experienced the negative impact on their remunerations (reduced salary or salary freeze, reduced or eliminated bonus or suspended or no salary increment); 11% are placed on voluntary unpaid leave; 10% have to cope with heavier workload; 4% works from home; 2% faced the freezing of staff performance appraisals and the reduction in work hours. 

LOCAL JOB SEEKER’S JOB HUNTING CONCERN AMID COVID-19 

Question: Share with us the challenges/concerns that you faced in your job hunting during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Relatively, this causes the current unemployed job seekers to have similar harsh impacts on their job-hunting process in the current market. In comparison to the employment market before the pandemic, majority 47% job seekers experience ‘lower success being invited for an interview’; while 21% of the job seekers encounter companies that have a ‘longer period of recruitment process’, and 19% feel ‘lesser suitable job opportunities being advertised’ on job advertisement portals and the minority 13% are offered ‘lower salaries for the same position from their previous employment’. In this current tough time, companies were urged to reduce their spending to keep the business going; this is reflected by the reduction of the employees’ remunerations and lower salaries offered to new employees. 

WILLINGNESS TO SETTLE FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION 

Question: As an experienced working adult, well equipped with skills and knowledge, are you willing to settle for an entry-level position? 

With the reduced hiring budget, most companies are open to hiring more entry-level positions. Amongst local job seekers that have more than two years of working experience, 59% are ‘willing to accept entry-level position’, 32% choose to ‘wait for a better career opportunity that suits their skills and experience’; only 9% are still ‘monitoring the market and yet to apply for any job at this period’. This result indicates that job seekers are willing to accept any level of position to “land” a job during this tough period. 

An Original Of WADD’s (previously Happenings in Sarawak) Article Contributed by SarawakJobs and SabahJobs

About SarawakJobs and SabahJobs

As part of the No. 1 job site in Borneo, SarawakJobs.com & SabahJobs.com are committed to assisting both employers and job seekers in coping and rising through the unprecedented crisis. We place greater efforts to promote job opportunities and enhance quality candidates while focusing on our commitments to address the needs of our users and HR professionals alike to attract and secure the right hire through both the good times and the bad times. 

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