Overview

INTRODUCTION

All states have been in Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) since 3rd January 2022. During this phase most restriction has been relaxed. Large event and social gatherings can resume subject to capacity constraints and business will be permitted to operate at maximum capacity according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs). 

It was observed that the number of new COVID-19 cases daily rose in the middle of the quarter due to the Omicron wave with an average of 24,000 cases daily. However, the death reported cases decreased as a consequence of National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP). 

This condition signifies a critical shift towards “new norm” for the country's economic activities to be sustained. This circumstances had caused towards an increasing trend in the labour demand that contributed in the positive growth of employed persons and brought down the number of unemployed persons for the first quarter.

LABOUR FORCE

LFPR INCREASED TO 69.0 PER CENT, THE HIGHEST RECORDED SINCE FIRST QUARTER 2020 BUT REMAINED BELOW ITS PRE-PANDEMIC RATIO

In the first quarter of 2022, labour force expanded by 0.7 per cent or 111.1 thousand persons to a total of 16.25 million persons (Q4 2021: 16.14 million persons). Similarly, as compared to the preceding quarter, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) escalated by 0.3 percentage points to 69.0 per cent. This was the highest LFPR recorded since the first quarter of 2020 but remained below its pre-pandemic ratio (Q1 2020: 68.8%).

The employment-to-population ratio which indicates the ability of an economy to create employment recorded an increase of 0.5 percentage points to 66.2 per cent (Q4 2021: 65.7%). Meanwhile, the number of outside labour force declined by71.6 thousand persons to record 7.29 million persons (Q4 2021: 7.36 million persons).  [Exhibit 1]

The labour force increased by 237.8 thousand persons year-on-year (Q1 2021:16.01 million persons), while the LFPR increased by 0.4 percentage points from
68.6 per cent (Q1 2021).

Exhibit 1: Principal Statistics of Labour Force, Malaysia, First Quarter of 2021, Fourth Quarter of 2021 & First Quarter of 2022

EMPLOYED PERSON

EMPLOYED PERSON INCREASED FURTHER BY 1.1 PER CENT

During first quarter of 2022, the number of employed persons continued to increase by 0.9 per cent (+134.2 thousand persons) to 15.57 million persons (Q4 2021:15.44 million persons). Simultaneously, employed persons rose by 2.2 per cent or equivalent to 338.3 thousand persons as compared to the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2021: 15.24 million persons).

By educational attainment, employed persons with secondary education recorded the highest share of 56.1 per cent (8.74 million persons). This was followed by employed persons with tertiary education which made up a share of 31.5 per cent or 4.90 million persons.  [Chart 1] 

Chart 1: Employed Person by Educational Attainment, Malaysia, Fourth Quarter of 2021 & First Quarter of 2022, (‘000)

UNEMPLOYMENT

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASED TO 4.1 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2022

In the first quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points as against the previous quarter to record 4.1 per cent (Q4 2021: 4.3%). The number of unemployed persons in this quarter reduced by 23.1 thousand persons to671.2 thousand persons (Q4 2021: 694.4 thousand persons).

There were 593.0 thousand persons who were actively unemployed, encompassing for 88.3 per cent of unemployed persons, the increase of 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter (Q4 2021: 88.0%; 611.0 thousand persons). Correspondingly, the percentage share of the inactively unemployed decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 11.7 per cent (Q4 2021: 12.0%; 83.4 thousand persons).  [Chart 2] 

Chart 2:Unemployment Category, Malaysia, Fourth Quarter of 2021 & First Quarter of 2022, (‘000)

OUTSIDE LABOUR FARCE

FEMALE MADE UP THE LARGEST COMPOSITION OF OUTSIDE LABOUR FORCE

In the first quarter of 2022, the number of outside labour force decreased by1.0 per cent equivalent to 71.6 thousand persons as compared to the previous quarter to record 7.29 million persons (Q4 2021: 7.36 million persons). Meanwhile, the number of outside labour force also decreased by 0.4 per cent equivalent to 26.1 thousand persons as against the same quarter of the preceding year  (Q1 2021:7.32 million persons).

Female made up more than half of composition in outside labour force, accounted for 69.1 per cent or equivalent to 5.04 million persons. Meanwhile, male comprised 30.9 per cent of the outside labour force or corresponding to 2.25 million persons.[Chart 3]

Chart 3:  Population of Outside Labour Force by Sex, Malaysia, Fourth Quarter of 2021 & First Quarter of 2022, (‘000)

The full publication of the Labour Force Survey Report, Malaysia, First Quarter 2022 can be downloaded through eStatistik Portal.

For more detail, please refer to the Department's Portal: www.dosm.gov.my.

*Notes: 

         The First Quarter data is provisional and subject to revision in later issues. 

Released by:

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA

10 MAY 2022

Contact person: 

Mohd Yusrizal Ab Razak 
Public Relation Officer
Strategic Communication and Internal Division
Department of Statistics Malaysia
Tel : +603-8885 7942
Faks : +603-8888 9248
E-mel : yusrizal.razak@dosm.gov.my

For interviews, press statement and clarification to the media, contact:

Baharudin Mohamad

Public Relation Officer

Email: baharudin[at]dosm.gov.my

Phone: 03 8885 7942

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