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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · Upper-middle income

Malaysia: the labour market

Labour force is 18.7m (2025), 36th of 187 in the world and 9th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 66.1% (2025), 52nd of 187 in the world and 12th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 51.6% (2025), 105th of 187 in the world and 20th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force18.7m2025 · world 36/187 · region 9/29Participation rate66.1%2025 · world 52/187 · region 12/29Women's participation51.6%2025 · world 105/187 · region 20/29Employment rate63.6%2025 · world 46/187 · region 13/29
Labour force
Malaysia
05.0m10.0m15.0m20.0m1995200020052010201520202025Malaysia18.7m
Participation rate
MalaysiaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025Malaysia66.1%East Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Malaysia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total18.7m202536/1879/299.0m12.7m16.9m+24%since 20151.3bn1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+66.1%202552/18712/2959.5%61.6%65.5%+0.9 ppsince 201565.2%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+51.6%2025105/18720/2940.6%44.8%51.4%+0.8 ppsince 201558.1%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)63.6%202546/18713/2957.8%59.6%62.5%+0.5 ppsince 201562.7%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)3.8%2025124/18712/293.0%3.3%4.5%+0.7 ppsince 20153.8%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)3.9%2025134/18712/293.1%3.5%4.7%+0.5 ppsince 20153.4%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)12.0%202599/18710/299.6%10.9%12.4%+1.0 ppsince 201512.5%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %10.2%2022135/17021/2818.8%14.4%201113.6%−3.7 ppsince 201215.3%17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment74.6%202571/18712/2970.5%72.7%74.0%+1.3 ppsince 201561.0%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)21.9%2025114/18718/2926.2%23.8%22.5%−1.2 ppsince 201535.3%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment9.2%2025113/18718/2915.3%13.3%10.5%−3.3 ppsince 201521.7%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment26.0%202538/1874/2933.4%27.6%26.2%−1.6 ppsince 201528.5%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment64.9%202580/18712/2951.3%59.1%63.4%+4.8 ppsince 201549.9%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Malaysia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Malaysia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorMalaysiaIndonesiaPhilippinesThailandSingaporeBrunei
Labour force18.7m2025147m202552.2m202540.9m20253.8m2025237,7632025
Participation rate66.1%202568.0%202561.4%202566.7%202569.7%202564.2%2025
Women's participation51.6%202553.7%202550.5%202559.0%202563.6%202554.4%2025
Employment rate63.6%202565.8%202560.0%202566.2%202567.7%202560.8%2025
Unemployment3.8%20253.2%20252.2%20250.8%20252.8%20255.3%2025
Female unemployment3.9%20253.0%20252.5%20250.8%20252.9%20255.3%2025
Youth unemployment12.0%202513.0%20257.0%20254.5%20256.8%202518.2%2025
Youth NEET rate10.2%202221.6%202316.5%202412.4%20256.5%202518.4%2025
Wage workers74.6%202546.7%202563.9%202549.3%202587.3%202592.7%2025
Indonesia: labourPhilippines: labourThailand: labourSingapore: labourBrunei: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesMalaysia: all key statisticscountry profile