Malaysia’s unemployment rate increased to 3.0% in April 2026, marking a six-month high and matching the rate last seen in October 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The number of unemployed persons rose slightly to 511,800 from 509,000 in March 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Meanwhile, the total labour force expanded 0.1% to 17.33 million persons, up from 17.31 million in March [1, 2, 3, 4].
The labour force participation rate remained steady at 70.9% in April 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Employed persons rose 0.1% month-on-month to 16.82 million, with employees making up 75% of those employed, numbering 12.61 million. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said, "The employees’ category constituted 75.0 per cent of total employed persons in April 2026. This category increased marginally by 0.05 per cent to 12.61 million persons" [2]. Own-account workers also increased 0.2% to 3.15 million in the same period [1, 2, 3, 4].
Youth unemployment remained a concern, with the rate for those aged 15 to 24 steady at 10.2%, totaling about 290,800 unemployed youths [1, 3, 4]. The broader youth group aged 15 to 30 saw a slight rise in unemployment from 6.2% to 6.3%, with 394,700 unemployed [3, 4].
Among the unemployed, 79.5% were actively seeking work, up 0.3% to 407,100 persons, while 63.9% had been unemployed less than three months and 5.0% had been jobless for over one year. Chief Statistician Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin noted, "The actively unemployed, defined as those who were available for work and actively seeking jobs, accounted for 79.5 per cent of the total unemployed persons" [2]. The inactively unemployed — those who believe no jobs are available — rose 1.5% to 104,700 persons [2, 3, 4].
Employment remains concentrated in the services sector, including accommodation, food services, information and communication, alongside manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining [3]. Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said April’s labour market numbers reflect the economy’s steady expansion and modest growth [2]. He added, "Malaysia’s economic and labour market outlook remains positive in the near term, supported by strong domestic fundamentals, sustained investment momentum and ongoing development initiatives" [4].
