Overview

• In the third quarter of 2026, the labour force grew by 0.3 per cent compared to the previous quarter, adding 58.0 thousand to reach 17.33 million (Q2 2026: 17.28 million) with the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increasing to 71.0 per cent. Meanwhile, year-on-year comparison, the labour force edged up by 197.4 thousand (+1.2%), raising the LFPR by 0.1 percentage points from 70.9 per cent in the same quarter of preceding year.
• The number of employed persons continued its upward trend in the third quarter of 2026, increasing by 53.9 thousand (+0.3%) to 16.82 million (Q2 2026: 16.77 million). On a year-on-year basis, employment rose by 1.2 per cent (+197.3 thousand) compared with the corresponding period of the previous year (Q3 2025: 16.62 million).
• The number of unemployed persons increased by 0.8 per cent to 513.7 thousand in the third quarter of 2026, (Q2 2026: 509.7 thousand) with the unemployment rate stood at 3.0 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2026. Year-on-year comparison shows the number of unemployed persons edged 0.2 thousand, while the unemployment rate remained at 3.0 per cent compared with the third quarter of 2025 (Q3 2025: 513.6 thousand).
• Three states and two regions recorded LFPR above the national rate 71.0 per cent, with Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya registering the highest LFPR at 79.5 per cent, followed by Selangor (78.2%), Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (76.3%), Pulau Pinang (71.7%) and Johor (71.5%).
• At the state and region level, nine states and one region recorded unemployment rates below the national unemployment rate of 3.0 per cent. Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya registered the lowest unemployment rate at 1.3 per cent, followed by Melaka and Selangor (2.0%) and Pahang (2.1%). 

The full publication of the Labour Force Survey Report, Third Quarter 2026 can be downloaded through eStatistic Portal.

Released by:

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA

11th NOVEMBER 2026

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Baharudin Mohamad
Public Relation Officer
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