Local employees posted a 4.26 resilience score against the 4.11 international benchmark.
Malaysian workers score above the global average for personal resilience, though financial insecurity remains a key vulnerability, according to research by Zurich Insurance Group and Oxford Research & Development Partners.
Local employees recorded a score of 4.26 on the Personal Resilience Index, surpassing the global average of 4.11, with 39% of the workforce categorised in the highest “thriving” tier.
The Global People Resilience Study 2026, which surveyed 11,175 working-age adults across 16 countries, revealed that employee resilience is 2.5 times more predictive of job performance than income level, with highly resilient workers reporting strong job performance at twice the rate of less resilient peers.
Financial resilience was identified as Malaysia’s weakest domain, with 39% of workers reporting no emergency savings buffer, compared to 49% globally. In contrast, physical health proved to be Malaysia’s strongest domain, with only 12% of workers reporting poor sleep quality, compared with 17% internationally.
Technology usage and age also created distinct variations in resilience across the workforce.
Daily generative artificial intelligence usage stood at 37% amongst Malaysian workers—higher than the 32% global average—with regular AI users consistently reporting higher resilience scores.
Demographically, workers aged 18 to 34 recorded a score of 4.30, compared to 4.07 for those aged 50 and above.
Zurich Malaysia Chief People Officer Teo Mye Lene stated that whilst workers show strong adaptability, long-term performance requires firmer financial security and protection.
The study noted that highly resilient employees are more than four times as likely to recommend their employer, generating an employee Net Promoter Score 75 points higher than the least resilient group.