LABIS: The country’s unemployment rate fell to 2.9% last year from 3.2% in 2024.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared the figures during the Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya on Wednesday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the positive development was driven, among other factors, by the government’s continued emphasis on developing skilled talent through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“There used to be unemployment, but now there are job opportunities, many of them in technical fields, with training provided by TVET institutions.
“This shows that our efforts to develop a skilled technical workforce have borne fruit,” he said when launching the Johor state-level Community Development Department (Kemas) Skills Day here yesterday, which was also attended by Kemas director-general Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Man.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also chairman of the National TVET Council, said the employability rate among graduates of TVET institutions under Majlis Amanah Rakyat stood at an impressive 99.5%, Bernama reported.
“Apart from TVET institutions, Kemas has also produced many skilled workers through courses in sewing, cooking, hairdressing, makeup and computer skills,” he said. He also urged TVET graduates to venture into entrepreneurship.
“These achievements and statistics are the result of our commitment, through the ministry, relevant departments, agencies and agency subsidiaries, to sincerely and diligently plan for the well-being of the people,” he said.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid attended the Kejora 2025 Excellent Service Awards and Appreciation Ceremony. Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who is the Pengerang MP.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid called on Kemas to prepare a paper to note the department’s achievements, to be presented to the Cabinet as part of the ministers’ information.
