Anis Farhana Amran
Research Associate
Anis is a Research Associate at PNBRI. Her research interests lie in education equity and gender inequalities, particularly how structural barriers intersect to shape access to opportunity. She is especially interested in how these dynamics influence education-to-labour market transitions and broader questions of inclusive development. She holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Southampton. Anis aspires to contribute towards a Malaysia that nurtures and uplifts diverse talents, paving the way for all to realise their potential.
[email protected]Abstract
Frequent job changes among younger workers are often framed as a behavioural failure on the part of the workers themselves and attributed to a poor work ethic. This article challenges that narrative by situating job‑hopping within the context of growing structural weaknesses in current labour markets. It argues that rising skill underemployment and low entry-level wages have significantly influenced decisions to move between jobs. While job switching in the early career is often normalised as a short‑term adjustment for better progression, this article demonstrates that unstable labour market entry can generate long‑run career costs, particularly through two mechanisms: uneven accumulation of skills and the flattening of wage progression. The article concludes that job‑hopping should be understood as a structural signal rather than a moral failing. The discussion highlights three key pathways forward to addressing this issue:
1. strengthening wage and job-quality foundations to support stable early-career pathways;
2. strengthening school-to-work matching through work-based learning and structured, employer-integrated career pathways; and
3. strengthening lifelong learning systems.