Malaysia’s unemployment rate remained at 3% in June 2025, with the number of unemployed persons falling to 518,700, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s Labour Force Statistics for June and Second Quarter (Q2) [PDF] of 2025.

Labour Force Continues to Expand

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the labour market maintained its positive growth momentum in June, supported by the ongoing expansion of the national economy.

The labour force grew by 0.3% month-on-month to 17.43 million persons in June, compared to 17.38 million in May. The Labour Force Participation Rate held steady at 70.8% during the same period.

Q2 2025 Sees Higher Employment

For the second quarter of 2025, Malaysia’s labour force rose by 0.8% to 17.37 million persons, up from 17.23 million in the first quarter. The Labour Force Participation Rate  edged up by 0.1 percentage points to 70.8%.

The number of employed persons increased by 0.9% to 16.85 million, compared to 16.70 million in Q1. Meanwhile, unemployment declined by 1.0% to 520,900 persons, down from 526,300 in the previous quarter. This pushed the Q2 unemployment rate down by 0.1 percentage points to 3%.

Outlook for the Labour Market

Mohd Uzir said Malaysia’s labour market is expected to remain stable in the coming months, underpinned by rising domestic demand, stronger productivity, more job opportunities, and investment across technology and other strategic sectors.

While risks remain, including talent migration, global trade tensions, and inflation, he noted that government policies on digitalisation, technical training, and investment incentives are likely to support growth over the medium to long term.

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• TAGS:
• Department of Statistics Malaysia
• Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin
• June 2025
• Labour Force
• Unemployment Rate