Unemployment continues to fall in Malaysia

The number of unemployed people fell from 687,600 persons in December 2021 to 680,400 in January this year, representing a 1.1% decrease.
By: | March 11, 2022

This was disclosed by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), which also said the country’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in January.

Meanwhile, the number of employed persons rose by 0.2% to 15.69 million persons from 15.65 million in December 2021, registering a higher employment-to-population ratio at 66.2% in January this year.

As a result, Malaysia’s labour force increased by 0.2% to 16.37 million persons from 16.34 million in December 2021, leading to the increase in January’s labour force participation rate to 69.1% compared to 69.0% in December 2021. 

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“A healthier economic outlook is anticipated in the months ahead, reflecting the leading index which was continuously above 100 points and rising in December 2021. This positive outlook will lead to the increase in business activities, thus creating more labor demand in the economy,” said the DOSM.

“[The] creation of more job opportunities will encourage more labour participation, hence fostering the labour market to be more vibrant in the forthcoming months,” it added.