PUTRAJAYA: The unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in 11 years last November, reaching 2.9%, with 518,400 unemployed.
This was revealed in the Statistics of the Labour Force Malaysia released by the Statistics Department yesterday.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin (pic) said the last time the unemployment rate fell below 3% was in November 2014.
He said the sharp improvement reflected the continued strengthening of the labour market, supported by stable economic conditions and steady demand for labour across key sectors.
“The labour force expanded by 0.2% to reach 17.61 million persons in November 2025 compared with 17.58 million in October 2025, while the labour force participation rate during the month was unchanged at 70.9%,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
Mohd Uzir said the local labour market is expected to remain stable and continue to grow positively over the coming months, supported by emerging job opportunities in strategic sectors, ongoing reskilling and upskilling initiatives and more balanced employment growth between urban and rural areas.
“Malaysia’s labour market is forecast to remain competitive, inclusive and resilient in addressing global challenges, while leveraging opportunities from digital transformation and the green agenda,” he added.
Mohd Uzir said the number of employed persons continued to rise, growing 0.2% to 17.09 million compared to 17.06 million previously, while unemployed persons decreased slightly to 518,400 from 518,900 the previous month.
He said workers accounted for 74.8% of total employment, increasing to 12.78 million persons against 12.76 million in October 2025, while own-account workers rose to 3.26 million compared with 3.25 million the previous month.
He said employment growth remained broad-based, led by steady gains in the services sector, particularly in human health and social work, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, as well as food and beverage services.
Growth was also recorded in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying sectors.
Mohd Uzir said those working less than 30 hours per week rose to 237,000 persons in November, compared with 233,200 in October, while time-related underemployment increased to 129,900 persons from 126,400 previously.
“As a result, the time-related underemployment rate rose to 0.8% in November compared with 0.7 in October,” he added.
