Malaysia’s Labour Market Stays Stable, Unemployment at 3.1% in January 2025

Malaysia’s labour market remained stable as the unemployment rate held at 3.1% in January 2025, supported by strong investment in the semiconductor industry. However, job vacancies slightly declined to 123.7K in February from 133.9K in January, with professional roles seeing the highest increase.

The unemployment rate is expected to average 3.2% in 2025, slightly lower than 3.3% in 2024. Positive labour demand is anticipated, particularly in the construction and services sectors, driven by steady domestic economic growth.

In terms of job categories, professional workers experienced the most significant month-on-month increase, with vacancies rising by +5K. Malaysia’s unemployment rate to remain steady in 2025.