LABOUR FORCE REMAINS STABLE WITH FEBRUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REDUCED -- DOSM

PUTRAJAYA, April 11 (Bernama) -- February’s number of unemployed reduced to 532,800 persons, with an unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

DOSM chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the country’s labour force remains stable following the encouraging economic developments.

“In this sense, the labour force numbers in February 2025 saw an increasing trend, rising by 0.3 per cent month-on-month to 17.27 million persons (January 2025: 17.22 million persons).

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“A higher labour force participation rate was recorded during the month at 70.7 per cent (January 2025: 70.6 per cent). A steady increase in the number of employed persons and a declining trend in the number of unemployed persons were the reasons for this positive situation,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Uzir said that the Malaysian economy is expected to remain resilient, supported by continued progress in long-term projects, increased household income and the easing of global monetary conditions.

“Furthermore, the country's diversified economic structure and supportive policies have positively influenced the country’s labour market position during the month, and at the same time, the government also has implemented reforms to enhance workforce inclusivity, reduce reliance on foreign labour, and promote automation and mechanisation,” he said.

Elaborating further, Mohd Uzir said the number of employed persons in February 2025 saw further improvement with a 0.3 per cent rise, bringing the total to 16.73 million persons, compared to 16.68 million persons in January 2025.

At the same time, the number of unemployed persons experienced a decrease of 0.2 per cent, falling to 532,800 persons (January 2025: 533,800 persons). The unemployment rate held steady at 3.1 per cent, unchanged from the previous month.

Addressing the employment scenario, he pointed out that in February 2025, the employees’ category accounted for 75.2 per cent of the total employed persons rising by 0.2 per cent to 12.59 million persons (January 2025: 12.56 million persons).

Similarly, the number of own-account workers increased by 0.6 per cent, reaching 3.13 million persons (January 2025: 3.11 million persons).

“These measures aim to create high-quality employment opportunities and improve productivity. Thus, Malaysia's labour market outlook appears promising in the upcoming months, supported by robust policies and investments in high-growth and high-value (HGHV) industries.

-- BERNAMA