The unemployment rate rose month-on-month to 4.8% in June, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The number of unemployed people declined by 12.4%, marking the largest quarterly percentage fall in unemployment since 1986.
The unemployment rate in the country fell to 6.95% in July – the lowest in four months, an indication of possible recovery in the labour market.
The recovery was attributed to hiring at pandemic-hit restaurants and retailers as the state of emergency was lifted in some areas.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has urged local officials to provide information on the number of unemployed people who need assistance.
Some 580,000 businesses, representing 49% of the SME sector, are at risk of failing by October this year if they are not allowed to open up operations by then.
Those in their 20s and 30s accounted for 46.8% of the total discouraged workers in June, up 8.2 percentage points from the year before.
The Ministry of Manpower is preparing the policy for distribution of the BSU wage subsidy programme for workers in 2021.
Some 213,000 people are still out of jobs, but this is 20,200 fewer than the preceding quarter, as Hong Kong's labour market continues to recover.
However, underemployment crept up by 0.5% to 7.9% as the economy responded to lockdowns in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
The Department of Finance (DOF) has said lockdowns caused by new variants of COVID-19 will slow the recovery of job gains.
The alliance urged the government to change its strategy as very little improvement has been made with regards to the COVID-19 case daily tally.
Workers will now be eligible for handouts of up to NT$20,000 in subsidies over four months if they find a new full-time job.
The overall unemployment rate in the country trended down in May, falling marginally from 2.9% in the previous month.
Out of the 592,000 Australians who lost their employment in April 2020, 38% were aged between 15 and 24.
A survey revealed that only 16% of SMEs expect their businesses to recover only in 2023, citing movement restrictions as dampening business demand.
The Ministry of Human Resources has urged workers and employers affected by the pandemic to apply for benefits under the Employment Insurance System.
The number of employed women rose by 69,000, while the number of employed men increased by 46,000.
Hong Kong’s jobless rate fell for three consecutive months to a one-year low in May, as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic.
The country’s urban unemployment rate fell 5.0 percentage points to 9.7% month-on-month for the week which ended on June 13.
The number of unemployed persons in April totalled 742,700 persons, falling by 0.1 percentage point or 10,500 persons month-on-month.
Those receiving job-seeking benefits totalled 704,000 in May, in line with a downward trend of 759,000 in March, and 739,000 in April.
In April, a total of 92,100 people — comprising Singapore citizens and permanent residents — were unemployed.
While these job losses are linked to the end of its wage subsidy, more people are beginning to find jobs, says the treasury secretary.
The National Economic and Social Development Council said the third wave of the pandemic is likely to lead to soaring unemployment this year.
The government has further tightened MCO measures, which include a mandate of more WFH arrangements and a cap on operating hours.
Official figures also show an improvement in youth unemployment, which is now better than at the start of the pandemic.
The decision not to have a full lockdown that shuts down the economy will help prevent rising unemployment that could affect 1 million people.
The government will continue subsidies for the unemployed, and vocational training, upskilling, internships for college graduates.
The Department of Finance (DOF) has said gains in employment cannot be sustained if strict lockdowns are repeatedly being imposed.
