FX.co ★ Malaysia Jobless Rate Stays at Over Decade Low

Malaysia's unemployment rate maintained its consistency for the fifth consecutive month, holding at 3.0% in August 2025—the lowest figure recorded since April 2015. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 0.3% from the previous month, totaling 520,000. Of these, 64.5% had been without work for less than three months, while 5% remained unemployed for over a year. Employment figures saw continued growth, increasing by 0.2% month-over-month to reach 16.99 million. The services sector spearheaded this growth, followed by gains in the manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, and agriculture sectors. The labor force experienced an expansion of 0.2% month-on-month, culminating in 17.51 million participants, nudging the labor force participation rate slightly upwards to 70.9% from 70.8% in July. Concurrently, the number of individuals not engaged in the labor force rose marginally to 7.20 million, with primary reasons being housework or family responsibilities and educational or training commitments.