09-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia's unemployment rate holds at 3.1% in March
Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the labour market is expected to remain strong and resilient, driven by sustained labour demand and ongoing government initiatives. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Malaysia's labour market remained stable in March, with the number of unemployed persons dipping to 529,600 and the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.1%, according to the statistics department.
Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the continued job growth was supported by stable domestic demand and improved economic conditions.
'An optimistic economic position in March has allowed the country's labour market to continue to develop steadily,' he said in a statement accompanying the release of the latest Labour Force Survey.
The labour force grew by 0.2% from February to 17.31 million, while the number of employed persons rose 0.3% to 16.78 million. The labour force participation rate (LFPR) remained at 70.7%.
Of those employed, 75.2% were wage earners, totalling 12.61 million, while own-account workers, including freelancers and gig workers, rose 0.6% to 3.15 million.
The services sector continued to dominate employment, especially in accommodation and food, information and communication, and professional services. Employment also saw gains in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining.
Actively unemployed individuals – those available and seeking work – made up 79.4% of the total unemployed.
Of this group, 63.9% had been jobless for less than three months. The share of long-term unemployed (over a year) stood at 5.5%. The number of discouraged job seekers, or inactively unemployed, fell by 1.1% to 108,900 persons.
However, Uzir said youth unemployment remained high, with a 10.3% jobless rate among those aged 15 to 24, and 6.3% among those aged 15 to 30 – both unchanged from February.
Looking ahead, he said the labour market is expected to remain strong and resilient, driven by sustained labour demand and ongoing government initiatives to safeguard market stability.
'Thus, in line with this, the country's labour market condition is seen to continue to be optimistic and able to expand briskly and resiliently in the face of the worldwide economic uncertainties,' he said.
