2022 Budget: JaminKerja initiative to create 600,000 jobs

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 – The government will create 600,000 job opportunities next year under the Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia (JaminKerja) initiative, involving an allocation of RM4.8 billion.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the government would also continue with hiring employees under the JaminKerja wage incentive through the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) with a target of 300,000 employees.

“Under the initiative, employers hiring Malaysian Family members who are not actively working, the government will provide an incentive of 20 per cent of the monthly salary for the first six months and 30 per cent for the next six months on the condition that the monthly salary is RM1,500 and above,” he said when tabling the 2022 Budget themed “Keluarga Malaysia, Makmur Sejahtera” (A Prosperous Malaysian Family) at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Tengku Zafrul said to further encourage employers to hire focus groups, including persons with disabilities (PwD), Orang Asli and former inmates, the government will provide incentives of 30 per cent of the monthly salary for the first six months and 40 per cent for the subsequent six months for monthly salary of RM1,200 and above.

The incentive will also cover employees who hire women who have not worked for more than 365 days, single mothers and housewives in an effort to encourage women to return to work.

Apart from that, he said, the Malaysia Short-term Employment Programme or MySTEP will be continued, offfering 80,000 contract job opportunities in the public sector and 30,000 jobs in government-linked companies beginning January 2022.

The 2022 Budget will also target 220,000 trainees for various training and upskilling programmes, with an overall allocation of RM1.1 billion.

“It is hoped that the unemployment rate can be reduced to four per cent with the implementation of the JaminKerja initiative and economic recovery measures,” he said.

Tax relief of up to RM7,000 for fees will be provided to those taking courses with approved professional bodies, including those in accounting, finance, environment, social and administration.

“The government also planned to extend the double tax cuts to companies that provide scholarships to students of higher learning institution graduates and expand it for all fields of studies,” he added.