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Malaysia Produced 5.92 Million Graduates In 2022, With 85% Finding Jobs

53.9% of the graduates in 2022 were degree holders, while 46.1% were diploma graduates.

Cover image via New Straits Times & The Malaysian Reserve

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Malaysia recorded 5.92 million graduates in 2022, with a labour force participation rate of 85%, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM)

During the release of the 2022 Graduates Statistics on Monday, 20 November, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the number of graduates in Malaysia rose by 5.1% in 2022 from 5.63 million graduates in 2021.

"A positive economic environment throughout 2022 has led to an increase in the number of graduates in Malaysia, which has reached a substantial 5.92 million persons.

"This is composed of 23.1% of the population in the working age of 15 years and above," he said, as quoted by Bernama.

Mohd Uzir said 53.9% of the graduates in 2022 were degree holders, while 46.1% were diploma graduates

Out of the total number of graduates for the year, he said 5.06 million actively participated in the labour force, resulting in a graduates' labour force participation rate of 85.4%.

"Around two-thirds or 65.6% were employed in the skilled occupations category, accounting for 3.19 million persons," he said.

32.8% of graduates or 1.60 million people, were employed in the semi-skilled category, primarily comprising service and sales workers (14.0%), clerical support workers (10.7%), and craft and related trades workers (4.9%).

About 1.6% of graduates, or 781,000 people, found employment in the low-skilled category.

Meanwhile, the highest graduate salaries by state were found in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with a mean of RM5,556 and RM5,697, respectively.

The unemployment rate among graduates stood at 3.7% in 2022, showing a slight improvement compared to the unemployment rate of 4.1% in 2021

The number of unemployed graduates decreased from 198,700 people in 2021 to 187,800 in 2022.

Unemployed graduates refer to those who are actively seeking work but have yet to get a job, and are different from people who choose to stay outside the labour force, such as housewives, students furthering their studies, retirees, and those not interested in finding employment.

"In 2022, Malaysia's economy had gradually regained momentum towards recovery and fostered a healthier labour market situation compared to 2021," said Mohd Uzir.

Check out some of DOSM's infographics here:

Job opportunities, salaries, and work-life balance after graduation are common issues for Malaysians:

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