KUALA LUMPUR - The labour market and business landscape remained resilient and under control throughout the first and second quarters of this year, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
He said the trend in job losses remained manageable, with 6,197 individuals unemployed as of June 22, representing 0.04 per cent of Malaysia’s total working population.
"This figure is 20 per cent lower compared with 7,766 people who lost their jobs in May 2026,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman (PN-Bachok) on mitigation measures through the National Economic Action Council (MTEN) to address rising job losses and business downsizing following the energy crisis and global economic uncertainty.
As of April 2026, Akmal Nasrullah said the country’s total labour force had increased to 17.33 million, while the number of employed persons continued to rise to 16.82 million.
"The labour force participation rate remained at 70.9 per cent, unchanged from the previous month, reflecting the stability of current economic activity,” he said.
He said the unemployment rate increased slightly from 2.9 per cent in March to 3.0 per cent in April, affecting 511.8 thousand people, but remained below the four per cent full employment level.
Akmal Nasrullah said job redeployment also recorded positive progress, with MYFutureJobs recording a 55 per cent increase in placements, from 12,119 in April to 18,756 as of June 12.
"This brings the total number of job placements in 2026 to 62,644. This figure includes placements via the MYFutureJobs portal as well as beneficiaries of the Employment Insurance System,” he said.
He said the development demonstrated that government intervention not only provided temporary support, but also helped affected workers re-enter the workforce more quickly. - BERNAMA