Malaysia's April Unemployment Rate Drops To Lowest Level In 10 years
Malaysia's labour market continued to show steady improvement in April 2025, with employment rising and unemployment falling to its lowest level in ten years, according to the latest data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The number of employed persons rose by 0.2% month-on-month, adding 40,100 jobs to bring the total to 16.82 million. The employment-to-population ratio remained stable at 68.6%, reflecting sustained economic capacity to generate jobs.
According to the DOSM report, services led the increase, particularly in wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food services, and transportation and storage. Manufacturing, Construction, Agriculture, and Mining & Quarrying also posted job gains.
The employee category, which makes up the bulk of the workforce at 75.1%, rose to 12.63 million, while the number of own-account workers—typically self-employed individuals—increased by 0.6% to 3.16 million.
Malaysia's unemployment rate dropped to 3.0% in April, the lowest since April 2015, marking a 0.1 percentage point decrease from March. The number of unemployed persons declined by 3,700 to 525,900, further cementing a positive trend in the job market.
The total labour force expanded by 36,400 persons to 17.34 million, pushing the labour force participation rate (LFPR) up to 70.8%, a 0.1 percentage point increase from the previous month.
Meanwhile, the number of individuals outside the labour force rose slightly by 11,300 to 7.17 million. The main reasons cited were housework or family responsibilities (43.7%) and schooling or training (41.1%
April's labour data highlights growing confidence in the Malaysian economy, with strong job creation across multiple sectors and a record-low jobless rate. As domestic demand recovers and key industries expand, employment is expected to continue trending upward in the coming months. Related
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