The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported that the number of unemployed persons in December fell to 567,800 individuals, marking an unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent. This reflects the nation’s stable economic foundations, bolstered by ongoing growth in economic and social activities. The labour force in December rose by 0.1 per cent month-on-month to 17.03 million persons and the number of employed persons increased by 0.2 per cent to 16.46 million persons. Employment in the services sector continues to grow, particularly in areas such as information and communication, food and beverage services, and transportation and storage activities. However, the agriculture sector experienced a dip. Youth unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 years was 10.6 per cent, while the rate for those aged 15 to 30 years fell by 0.1 percentage points to 6.4 per cent. In terms of unemployment rate per state, Putrajaya reported the lowest unemployment rate at 1.5 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2023.

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