Name: Malaysia Unemployment Rate
Creator: TRADING ECONOMICS
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Malaysia,Unemployment Rate,data,chart,actual,historical,values,calendar,forecast,graph,2025,2026,2027

Malaysia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.0% in June 2026, unchanged from the previous two months and remaining at its highest level since October 2025. The number of unemployed persons increased to 517.8 thousand from 513.4 thousand in the previous month, indicating continued softness in the labor market. Meanwhile, total employment was little changed at 16.83 million. The services sector remained the primary contributor to total employment during the month, particularly in transportation & storage, accommodation and food & beverage service activities, and wholesale & retail trade activities. The labor force was unchanged at 17.34 million, with the labor force participation rate remaining stable at 70.9%. The number of people outside the labor force was little changed at 7.11 million. Looking ahead, Malaysia’s labor market is expected to remain resilient, supported by relatively stable domestic conditions and continued investment activity. source: Department of Statistics, Malaysia

Unemployment Rate in Malaysia remained unchanged at 3 percent in June. Unemployment Rate in Malaysia averaged 3.41 percent from 1998 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 5.30 percent in May of 2020 and a record low of 2.70 percent in August of 2012. This page provides - Malaysia Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Malaysia Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on August of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Malaysia remained unchanged at 3 percent in June. Unemployment Rate in Malaysia is expected to be 3.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Malaysia Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 3.10 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.

Related	Last	Previous	Unit	Reference
Employed Persons	16826.50	16821.80	Thousand	Jun 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate	70.90	70.90	percent	Jun 2026
Population	34.20	34.06	Million	Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons	517.80	513.40	Thousand	Jun 2026
Unemployment Rate	3.00	3.00	percent	Jun 2026
Wages	3167.00	3045.00	MYR/Month	Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing	3529.00	3524.00	MYR/Month	May 2026

Malaysia Unemployment Rate

In Malaysia, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.

	Actual	Previous	Highest	Lowest	Dates	Unit	Frequency
	3.00	3.00	5.30	2.70	1998 - 2026	percent	Monthly	NSA

Compare: Unemployment Rate by Country

News Stream

Malaysia Jobless Rate Holds Steady at 3%

Malaysia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.0% in June 2026, unchanged from the previous two months and remaining at its highest level since October 2025. The number of unemployed persons increased to 517.8 thousand from 513.4 thousand in the previous month, indicating continued softness in the labor market. Meanwhile, total employment was little changed at 16.83 million. The services sector remained the primary contributor to total employment during the month, particularly in transportation & storage, accommodation and food & beverage service activities, and wholesale & retail trade activities. The labor force was unchanged at 17.34 million, with the labor force participation rate remaining stable at 70.9%. The number of people outside the labor force was little changed at 7.11 million. Looking ahead, Malaysia’s labor market is expected to remain resilient, supported by relatively stable domestic conditions and continued investment activity.

2026-08-11

Malaysia Jobless Rate Unchanged at Eight-Month High

Malaysia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.0% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month and staying at its highest level since October 2025. The number of unemployed persons increased to 513.4 thousand from 511.8 thousand in April, indicating continued softness in the labor market. Meanwhile, total employment was little changed at 16.82 million. The labor force rose marginally to 17.34 million from 17.33 million in April, with the labor force participation rate remaining stable at 70.9%. The number of people outside the labor force was steady at 7.10 million. Looking ahead, Malaysia’s labor market is expected to remain resilient, supported by favourable economic conditions, sustained investment activity and ongoing structural transformation.

2026-07-10

Malaysia Jobless Rate Rises to 3.0%

Malaysia’s unemployment rate rose to 3.0% in April 2026 after holding steady at 2.9% in the previous five months. The number of unemployed persons increased by 0.6% from a month earlier to 511.8 thousand. Meanwhile, total employment continued to expand modestly, rising by 0.1% to 16.82 million, with growth seen across both employees (12.61 million, +0.05%) and own-account workers (3.15 million, +0.2%). Job gains were led by the services sector, particularly wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food and beverage services, and information and communication, while manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining also recorded increases. The labour force edged up by 0.1% to 17.33 million, keeping the labour force participation rate unchanged at 70.9%. The number of persons outside the labour force was broadly steady at 7.10 million, with housework and family responsibilities (43.3%) and schooling or training (40.5%) remaining the main reasons.

2026-06-11