PETALING JAYA: Four out of 10 women outside the labour force have work experience, but most are not seeking employment because of housework or family responsibilities.
According to the Statistics Department, care work is the main factor driving women out of the country’s labour force.
Out of 4.8 million women who were not seeking employment in 2023, three million or 60% cited housework or family responsibilities, while 30% said it was due to schooling, and the remaining 10% came from women who were furthering their studies, disabled, disinterested in working or have retired.
Overall, women make up about two-thirds of those not actively seeking employment.
However, the majority of these women have at least a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or equivalent qualifications and almost half have work experience.
When looking at labour force participation rate, women’s involvement in the workforce drops at the age of 35-39 years (67.9%) and slightly increases at 40-44 years (73.7%).
Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) senior research officer Chai Sen Tyng said many women exit the workforce during their childbearing years, especially when employers are not supportive of working mothers.
He said based on their experience, they would either leave for good or try to re-enter the workforce when their children are older.
According to the Statistics Department’s Salaries and Wages survey report, women are also paid less than men across all occupations.
In 2023, women managers were paid 21% lower than their male counterparts, while craft and related trades female workers were paid 29% lower and female professionals paid 23% less.
Chai said the government should look into policies that address sex and age discrimination at the workplace, gender and age sensitisation efforts, and recognising the value of housework.
