A Malaysian science graduate's journey into sales underscores a rising trend of skill-related underemployment, with over 36% of tertiary-educated workers in mismatched roles by 2024. Economic headwinds and employer preferences for experience deepen career anxieties among young jobseekers.
A Malaysian graduate with a science degree now working in sales reflects on the nation's challenging job market. She initially questioned if there was a place for her trained field, feeling anxiety amid limited opportunities that match her qualifications.
Her experience mirrors a nationwide trend: the share of tertiary-educated workers in mismatched roles rose from about 30% in 2015 to over 36% in 2024, with 25- to 29-year-olds most affected. This skill-related underemployment stems from a growing gap between university graduates and high-skill job creation. Employers increasingly prioritize experience, adaptability, soft skills, and technical abilities over academic credentials, intensifying competition for those without internships or practical exposure.
The resulting career anxiety is compounded by global economic tensions-energy crises and geopolitical instability-that curb business activity, reduce hiring, and delay expansions in Malaysia, further tightening the job market for fresh graduates. Meanwhile, in Singapore, a separate story highlights a 30-year-old man whose fiancée deems his S$100,000 annual income insufficient, comparing him to earners of S$30,000-S$40,000.
Additionally, a Filipina who worked as an overseas performing artist in Japan two decades ago shared her experience, reflecting on a past wave of Filipinas seeking entertainment work abroad
Malaysia Job Market Graduate Underemployment Skill Mismatch Tertiary Education Youth Unemployment Economic Tension
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