Malaysia’s job market continued its positive momentum in March 2025, with the number of employed individuals rising by 0.3 percent, or 44,500 persons, to reach 16.78 million, according to the latest data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. This is an increase from the 16.73 million employed in February 2025.
The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator of an economy’s job-creation capacity, also saw an improvement, increasing by 0.1 percentage points to 68.6 per cent in March 2025, up from 68.5 per cent in the preceding month.
The majority of employed persons continued to be concentrated in the Services sector, with notable increases in Accommodation and food & beverage services; Information & communication; and Professional scientific & technical activities. Positive employment growth was also observed across other sectors, including Manufacturing, Construction, Agriculture, and Mining & quarrying.
Breaking down the employment categories, employees constituted the largest share at 75.2 per cent of the total employed, expanding by 0.2 per cent (+25,100 persons) to 12.61 million in March (February: 12.59 million). Similarly, the number of own-account workers also experienced growth, rising by 0.6 per cent (+18,400 persons) to 3.15 million (February: 3.13 million).
The number of unemployed individuals continued its downward trend, decreasing by 3,200 persons (-0.6%) to 529,600 in March, compared to 532,800 in February. Consequently, the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.1 per cent, the same as in the previous month.
Malaysia’s labour force also maintained its positive trajectory, increasing by 0.2 per cent (+41,200 persons) to reach 17.31 million in March 2025 (February: 17.27 million). The labour force participation rate (LFPR) remained unchanged at 70.7 per cent, consistent with February 2025.
In March 2025, the number of individuals outside the labour force saw a slight increase of 0.1 per cent (+5,000 persons) to 7.16 million (February: 7.15 million). Housework/family responsibilities accounted for the largest proportion of this group at 43.7 per cent, followed by those engaged in schooling/training at 41.7 per cent.
Overall, the March 2025 labour force statistics indicate continued positive momentum in Malaysia’s employment sector, with a steady unemployment rate and increasing participation in the workforce.
