The saying 'experience counts' appears to holds true, even in a recession. The Kelly Services Malaysia’s Employment Outlook and Salary Guide 09/10 report found that experienced employees are still generally getting paid more this year compared to last year, with the economic slowdown impacting fresh graduates and those in selected industries more. The Salary Guide is indicative of actual transactions between employers and employees.

Skilled individuals with more than four years job experience recorded a 3% increase in minimum salary, while those with more than seven years job experience recorded a 8% to 15% increase in maximum salary, the report observed. Meanwhile, fresh graduates with no working experience, non-skilled candidates and clerical staff with less than two years job experience recorded an average 8% to 15% reduction in minimum salary. Sales orientated positions registered a lower base minimum salary for new entry staff as performance-based incentives were adopted to reward talents. In terms of sectors, businesses in the manufacturing, electrical and electronic, warehousing, transportation and retail sectors are affected in the current economic climate and have taken a cautious approach in hiring – jobs in warehousing and logistics saw a 8% to 15% decrease in minimum and maximum salary scales.

The report also highlighted employment opportunities in the information technology, engineering, healthcare, digital and telecommunications, outsourcing, call centre and Islamic banking and finance sectors. Demand was observed for strategic and program leaders, earning above RM12,000 per month such as chief information officers, project directors, service delivery directors and program directors. 

“The battle for skilled IT talents in Malaysia continues unabated especially in the IT outsourcing arena and IT shared services sectors,” says Melissa Norman, Kelly Services Malaysia’s Vice President and Country General Manager. “Continued growth of new development projects and industrial parks has also created job opportunities within the engineering spectrum across the country. Salaries for skilled workforce within the IT industry competent in C, C++, Java, PHP and other web technologies have registered a 3% increase in minimum and maximum salary.”

Kelly Services Malaysia has been issuing its yearly salary guide since 2005. A copy of the Salary Guide will be available on Kelly Services Malaysia’s website in July 2009.