Malaysia's April unemployment rate drops to lowest in 10 years

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's unemployment rate dropped to 3 percent in April, the lowest rate in ten years, with unemployment falling 0.7 percent month-on-month to 525,900, official data showed Wednesday.

A promising economic position has contributed to stable progress in Malaysia's labor force during the month, with an increase in the number of employed persons and higher labor force participation rates, while unemployment continues to decrease, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement.

In April, the number of the labor force continued its upward trend, increasing by 0.2 percent month-on-month to 17.34 million persons.

Consequently, the labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 70.8 percent, indicating more labor participation in the market.

Meanwhile, the number of employed persons in April was increasing, with a rise of 0.2 percent month-on-month to 16.82 million persons.

"The country's labor force is anticipated to remain optimistic and expand in the coming months of 2025, bolstered by strong economic policies and stable domestic demand," said DOSM.

Despite global geopolitical tensions, it said Malaysia's labor force is seen to remain resilient due to stable unemployment, the growing services sector and technology, as well as increasing investment in digitalization and automation.■