Interested to know why graduates are not seeking work? What are the reasons why they are not? Find out more below!

It is an exciting time entering the job market after you have graduated. From crafting a resume to finding the best opportunity for your themselves, the sky is your limit.

However, the same sentiment is not shared by everyone. Why do some opt not to look for work after their education is done? Let’s take a deeper look into their reasons.

Our Data

This article will be utilising graduates data published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, where it details the reasons graduates have given for not looking for work in Malaysia. In 2021, there were 841,300 graduates not looking for work.

#1: Housework and Family Responsibilities

Housework and family responsibilities are the number 1 reason why 296,600 graduates were not looking for work in 2021. 90.4% of the graduates who have cited this as their reason to not pursue a career are females, far outnumbering their male counterparts. This likely reflects the societal pressure on women to take up more of the family’s responsibilities and housework, which have been traditionally viewed as the role for women.

#2: Schooling and Training Program

The second reason why graduates were not looking for work is schooling and training program. It is not uncommon for graduates to pursue further courses and training program before jumping straight into the working world. About 270,800 graduates cited this as a reason in 2021, with women making up a bigger majority at about 57.8%.

It could be that graduates feel that the education they received might be too academic and theoretical for the working world, and thus, opt instead to upskill themselves in practical courses like Excel, communication, emotional intelligence, and other soft skills. As the world is moving so fast these days, the knowledge and skills you obtain through your education might not be sufficient.

#3: Retired / Old Age

This is actually surprising. Retirement and old age was reason number 3 for graduates not looking for work. It goes to show that education doesn’t just stop when you are done with school. Many people are taking up education later on in life, probably pursuing their passion that they didn’t have a chance to earlier in life. About 211,100 graduates cited this reason in 2021, with men making up the majority at 69.5%.

It could be the case that many of these graduates have fulfilled their life goals of learning something that they didn’t get to, and retire after that. In any case, it is nice to see that learning never stops for anyone out there.

#4: Going for Further Studies

About 41,000 graduates have cited the reason of furthering their studies for not looking for work in 2021. Among them, men made up a majority at 76.1%.

More and more Malaysians are opting to further their studies, especially when the pandemic was in full swing. In comparison in 2019, only 8,300 graduates cited this reason, a mere 1/4th of the numbers in 2021. As workplaces gets more competitive with every year, most graduates are opting to go back to school to get an edge in the job market.

#5: Disability

Unfortunately, the job market in Malaysia remains unfriendly and discrimatory to people with disabilities. About 15,800 graduates cited this reason as not looking for work in 2021, with a majority of them being men at 69.0%.

While the situation has improved throughout the years, graduates with some type of impairment still find it hard to find work and may have opted to just give up. This represents one of the pain point for Malaysia’s job market, as facilities and resources to support disabled people in the workforce remains limited.

#6: Not Interested / Just Completed Studies

Coming in last was the reason of being not interested or that graduates have just completed their study (implying they want a break?). About 6,000 graduates cited this reason in 2021, with the majority being women at 53.3%. Some graduates could be taking a break or a vacation before taking the plunge into the job market.

Entering into the job market is a major shift for most graduates and in some ways, represents more responsibilities and worries. It makes sense that they might want to take one last chance to be worry-free and spend some time for themselves and their families.

Conclusion

Stepping into the workforce is not easy, and there are a myriad of reasons why graduates might not be looking for work. Housework and family responsibilities remain the top reason, and affects women the most in Malaysia. This is followed by training programs, retirement, further studies, disability and lastly, just completing their studies.

 

Are you out of the workforce now? Let us know the reasons in the comments below!

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