Overview

• The number of employed persons remained increasing in February 2024, with a month-on-month rise of 0.2 per cent (+24.9 thousand persons) to 16.51 million persons (January 2024: 16.48 million persons). The employment-to-population ratio, which implies the economy’s ability to create employment, stood at 67.9 per cent as of January 2024.
  

• In terms of the economic sector, the Services sector continued to register an increase in the number of employed persons, particularly in the Wholesale & retail trade; Food & beverage services; and Transportation & storage activities. The Manufacturing, Construction, Mining & quarrying and Agriculture sectors also saw a rise in the number of employed persons in February 2024.
  

• Out of the total employed persons in February 2024, 75.2 per cent were in the employees' category, which recorded a slight increase of 0.1 per cent (+13.4 thousand persons) to 12.41 million persons (January 2024: 12.39 million persons). Likewise, the own-account workers category was on an upward trend, rose by 0.3 per cent (+9.3 thousand persons) to register 3.02 million persons from 3.01 million persons in January 2024.
  

• The number of unemployed persons during the month continued to be on a downtrend, with a marginal decrease of 0.1 per cent (-0.3 thousand persons) to 567.0 thousand persons (January 2024: 567.3 thousand persons), registering a 3.3 per cent unemployment rate as in the prior month. 
  

• The number of labour force during the month continued to record a month-on-month increase, with an addition of 0.1 per cent (+24.6 thousand persons) to 17.07 million persons (January 2024: 17.05 million persons). February’s labour force participation rate (LFPR) stood at 70.2 per cent as recorded in the preceding month. 
  

• There was a slight decrease of 0.01 per cent (-0.7 thousand persons) recorded in the number of persons outside the labour force in February 2024, totalling 7.23 million persons (January 2024: 7.23 million persons). The main reason for being outside the labour force was due to housework/ family responsibilities, comprising 42.5 per cent, followed by schooling/ training reasons at 41.0 per cent.
  

The full publication of the Labour Force Report, February 2024 can be downloaded through eStatistik Portal

Released by:

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA

08 APRIL 2024

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Baharudin Mohamad

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