Overview

INTRODUCTION

At the beginning of the third quarter of 2021, all states were in the Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) amid acceleration of nationwide vaccination efforts. Later, several states were shifted to the next phases of NRP in stages subjected to the public health situation in the respective state except for Kedah which was remained in Phase 1. Towards the end of the quarter, the number of new daily cases of COVID-19 descended considerably to 16,000 cases while the vaccination rate of the adult population has reached approximately 86.3 per cent.

LABOUR FORCE

LFPR REMAINED AT 68.3 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2021

In the third quarter of 2021, labour force rose 0.3 per cent or 48.8 thousand persons to record 16.02 million persons (Q2 2021: 15.97 million persons). The labour force participation rate (LFPR) during the quarter remained unchanged at 68.3 per cent.

The employment-to-population ratio which indicates the ability of an economy to create employment improved to 65.1 per cent (Q2 2021: 65.0 %). Meanwhile, the number of outside labour force registered an increase of 5.2 thousand persons to record 7.43 million persons. [Exhibit 1]

Year-on-year comparison, labour force registered an addition of 180.4 thousand persons (Q3 2020: 15.84 million persons) while LFPR went down by 0.1 percentage point from 68.4 per cent (Q3 2020).

Exhibit 1: Principal Statistics of Labour Force, Malaysia, Third Quarter of 2020, Second Quarter of 2021 & Third Quarter of 2021

EMPLOYED PERSON

EMPLOYED PERSON POSTED A QUARTERLY INCREASE OF 0.4 PER CENT

In the third quarter of 2021, the number of employed persons posted a quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.4 per cent (+67.5 thousand persons) to 15.27 million persons (Q2 2021: 15.21 million persons). Meanwhile, as compared to the third quarter of  2020, the employed persons increased by 1.2 per cent or equivalent to 179.2 thousand persons (Q3 2020: 15.10 million persons).

By educational attainment, more than half of employed persons (55.1%) attained secondary education, comprising 8.41 million persons. This was followed by employed persons with tertiary education which made up a share of 32.5 per cent or 4.97 million persons. [Chart 1]

Chart 1: Employed Person by Educational Attainment, Malaysia, Second Quarter of 2021 & Third Quarter of 2021, (‘000)

UNEMPLOYMENT

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASED TO 4.7 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2021

In the third quarter of 2021, the unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage point as against the previous quarter to record 4.7 per cent (Q2 2021: 4.8%). The number of unemployed persons in this quarter was reduced by 18.7 thousand persons to 746.2 thousand persons (Q2 2021: 764.9 thousand persons). Year-on-year comparison, the unemployment rate remained unchanged while the number of unemployed persons rose marginally by 1.2 thousand persons.

There were 658.1 thousand persons who were actively unemployed, encompassing 88.2 per cent, an increased of 1.5 percentage points from the previous quarter (Q2 2021: 663.4 thousand persons; 86.7%). Correspondingly, the percentage share of the inactively unemployed decreased by 1.5 percentage points to 11.8 per cent or equivalent to 88.1 thousand persons (Q2 2021: 13.3%; 101.6 thousand persons). [Chart 2]

Chart 2: Unemployment Category, Malaysia, Second Quarter of 2021 & Third Quarter of 2021, (‘000)

OUTSIDE LABOUR FARCE

FEMALE ENCOMPASSED THE LARGEST COMPOSITION OF OUTSIDE LABOUR FORCE

In the third quarter of 2021, the number of outside labour force increased by 5.2 thousand persons (0.07%) as compared to the previous quarter to record 7.43 million persons (Q2 2021: 7.42 million persons). Meanwhile, the number of outside labour force rose by 0.1 per cent (+5.19 thousand persons) as against the same quarter of the preceding year.

More than half of the outside labour force were female which encompassed 68.9 per cent or equivalent to 5.12 million persons. Meanwhile, male comprised of 31.1 per cent (2.31 million persons). [Chart 3]

Chart 3: Population of outside labour force by sex, Malaysia, Second Quarter of 2021 & Third Quarter of 2021, (‘000)

The detailed information and technical notes are published in the Labour Force Survey Report, Malaysia, Third Quarter 2021. This report is accessible and downloadable free of charge through the eStatistik application in DOSM web page, www.dosm.gov.my.

Released By:

DATO' SRI DR. MOHD UZIR MAHIDIN
CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA

9 November 2021

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