Overview

• The labour force continued to expand in the fourth quarter of 2023, with an increase of 0.5 per cent or 87.8 thousand persons to register 16.91 million persons (Q3 2023: 16.82 million persons). Subsequently, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) remained unchanged at 70.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q3 2023: 70.1%).

• The number of employed persons remained on a positive trend in the fourth quarter of 2023, with an increase of 0.6 per cent (+95.8 thousand persons) to record a total of 16.35 million persons (Q3 2023: 16.25 million persons). As for the year-on-year comparison, the number of employed persons increase by 2.5 per cent or 405.0 thousand persons as compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year (Q4 2022: 15.94 million persons).
  

• The number of unemployed continued to decline to 565.0 thousand persons, recording a reduction of 1.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q3 2023: 573.1 thousand persons). Next, the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2023 also decreased to 3.3 per cent. On a year-on-year comparison, the unemployment rate also reduced by 0.3 percentage points with a reduction of 35.4 thousand unemployed persons as compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q4 2022: 3.6%; 600.5 thousand persons).   
  

• In the fourth quarter of 2023, the national labour force participation rate (LFPR) remained unchanged at 70.1 per cent. Ten states registered increases in LFPR, signifying more labour market participation. Selangor recorded the highest LFPR with 76.2 per cent, followed by W.P. Putrajaya (74.4%), W.P. Kuala Lumpur (73.7%), Pulau Pinang (73.3%), and Johor (71.1%).
  

• In terms of the unemployment rate across states, ten of the states recorded declines in the unemployment rate, two states posted an upward trend, while four states remained unchanged as previous quarter. W.P. Putrajaya registered the lowest unemployment rate with 1.5 per cent during the fourth quarter, followed by Perlis (2.0%), Pulau Pinang (2.0%), and Kedah (2.1%).
  

The full publication of the Labour Force Survey Report, Fourth Quarter 2023 can be downloaded through eStatistic Portal.

Released by:

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA

09 February 2024

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Baharudin Mohamad

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