Depending on the countries, certain regulations limit the hiring of foreign skilled labor. In Malaysia for example, employers will be required to prove that local citizens are not available in order to hire a foreign worker. In Singapore, they will need to advertise the job vacancy for at least 14 days on a government portal.
This kind of regulation seem to direct the ASEAN job market towards a “locals fist, ASEAN second” preferential policy, tapping into the regional talent pool beyond the national market. Such a regulation would already be a good step forward to an integrated ASEAN jobs market.
Further on, certain countries at a comparable stage of economic development could establish bilateral MRAs to enable more mobility of professionals from selected countries. This idea could be more feasible as the differential of development and skills level is still very high between the different ASEAN countries.