2025, 01:03 pm
Bloomberg filepix for illustration purpose only.
KUALA LUMPUR (April 11): Malaysia’s unemployment rate remained steady in February 2025, as the number of jobless people fell, even as the labour force expanded, according to the latest official survey.
Unemployment rate in February was 3.1%, unchanged since December 2024, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement.
Economists generally consider a 3% unemployment rate as the economy having full employment.
“Malaysia’s labour market outlook appears promising in the upcoming months, supported by robust policies and investments in high-growth and high-value industries,” DOSM commented.
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The Malaysian economy is expected to remain resilient, supported by progress in long-term projects, higher household income and the easing of global monetary conditions, the department said. Diversified economic structure and supportive policies have also improved the
labour market, it said.
During the month, the number of unemployed persons fell to 532,800 from 533,800 in January. The labour force, meanwhile, expanded 0.3% month-on-month to 17.27 million persons and labour force participation rate edged up 0.1 percentage-point to 70.7%.
The employee category, comprising the large majority of the workforce, saw a 0.2% increase to 12.59 million persons. Own-account workers — people who operate their own farm or business, or engage in full-time trade without hiring paid employees — gained 0.6% to 3.13 million persons.
By economic sectors, most of the employed persons were concentrated in the services sector, largely in accommodation and food-and-beverage services, wholesale-and-retail, and information-and-communication activities.
There was also growth in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture sectors, though the number of employed persons in the mining-and-quarrying sector decreased.
In terms of age groups, unemployment for people between 15 and 24 years old — those just entering the labour market following education — was unchanged at 10.3%, or about 298,900 youths
