According to a new report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia on Wednesday, the country's unemployment rate recorded a decline to 3.0% in April 2025, the lowest level in a decade, compared to 3.1 percent in March.
Chief Statistician, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin revealed that the number of unemployed people decreased by 0.7% to 525,900 people in April compared to 529,600 people in the previous month.
According to him, the total labor force increased by 0.2% to 17.34 million people, while the labor force participation rate also increased by 0.1 percentage point to 70.8%.
The services sector remained the main contributor to employment growth, especially in the wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, food and beverages, and transportation and storage sub-sectors.
In addition, positive trends were also recorded in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining and quarrying sectors.
However, the youth unemployment rate between 15 and 24 years old remained high at 10.3%, involving 298,300 youth who were still unemployed.
Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labor force increased slightly to 7.17 million people, compared to 7.16 million in March, due to household chores and family responsibilities (43.7%), followed by learning and training (41.1%).
With investments in automation and digitalization gaining momentum, the employment sector is expected to continue to grow, but matching skills and jobs will remain a key issue.
