(Kuala Lumpur, 11th) Malaysia’s Department of Statistics reported that the number of unemployed fell 0.1% in December to 517,700, while the unemployment rate stayed at 2.9%. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the labour market continued to expand on the back of ongoing economic growth. The labour force rose 0.2% to 17.65 million, and the labour force participation rate (LFPR) held steady at 70.9%.
Employment also increased 0.2% to 17.13 million. Of the labour force, 74.7% were employees, rising 0.1% to 12.80 million, while self-employment grew 0.4% to 3.27 million. By sector, services continued to add jobs—mainly in wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, and information and communication—while agriculture, manufacturing, and construction also rose, and mining edged down slightly.
Among the unemployed, 79.7% were actively seeking work, down 0.3% to 412,400; 64.6% had been unemployed for under three months, while 4.9% were unemployed for over a year. Youth unemployment stood at 298,700 (ages 15–24) and 396,900 (ages 15–30). Overall, the unemployment rate in the last quarter was 2.9%, and the female LFPR climbed to a record 56.6%. By state, Putrajaya and Penang had the lowest unemployment rate (1.6%), followed by Selangor (1.8%), Melaka (2.5%) and Johor (2.5%).
