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Sabah's jobless rate dips to 6.2pc
Published on: Wed, Aug 13, 2025 Text Size: Phoong reaffirmed his commitment to focusing on industrial development to achieve economic transformation for the State, saying he will continue working step by step until people see meaningful change occurring. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah's unemployment rate fell to 6.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, returning to pre-pandemic levels last seen in 2019, according to the Labour Force Survey released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia. State Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe said this represents the lowest unemployment rate since the Covid-19 pandemic and reflects the State's positive economic progress. The rate declined from 6.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. The number of unemployed persons dropped significantly from 144,500 in the first quarter of 2024 to 120,300 in the second quarter of 2025 - a reduction of over 20,000 in 18 months. This figure is even lower than the pre-pandemic level of 122,200 unemployed in the second quarter of 2019. Despite this progress, Phoong said substantial efforts are still needed to reduce the unemployment rate, which has remained high for the past decade, to match the national average. Sabah's unemployment rate had peaked at 9.1 per cent during the pandemic before declining to around 7 per cent in 2023-2024. 'This proves that job opportunities are increasing, particularly due to rapid industrial sector development in recent years. 'Major investments by local factories and foreign investors operating in Sabah have directly impacted job creation for the State's youths,' he said. The employed population also showed remarkable growth, increasing from 1.674 million in the first quarter of 2024 to 1.813 million in the second quarter of 2025 - an addition of nearly 150,000 people. Sabah recorded the second-highest increase in employed population in Malaysia during this period, after Selangor. However, Phoong acknowledged that Sabah still has the highest unemployment rate in the country, requiring more time and effort to change. He expressed optimism that through continued investment attraction, support for local enterprise development and downstream industry advancement, Sabah can create more job opportunities and reduce unemployment to below 100,000 people in the coming years. As Sabah DAP Chairman, Phoong reaffirmed his commitment to focusing on industrial development to achieve economic transformation for the State, saying he will continue working step by step until people see meaningful change occurring. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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