KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's unemployment rate edged down to 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2026, as both employment and labor force expanded modestly, official data showed Tuesday.
The number of unemployed persons fell 0.4 percent to 506,500, bringing the jobless rate down 0.1 percentage point from 3 percent in the previous quarter, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement.
The labor force rose 0.3 percent to 17.23 million people, while the number of employed persons also increased 0.3 percent to 16.73 million.
The labor force participation rate also remained steady at 70.9 percent, unchanged from the preceding quarter.
The statistics department said Malaysia's labor market is expected to remain broadly stable in the coming months, supported by strong domestic fundamentals and ongoing structural economic transformation.
However, it cautioned that growth momentum is likely to moderate and become more sensitive to external factors, including global energy market volatility and geopolitical developments.
"As such, both businesses and the workforce will need to remain agile in navigating a more dynamic and uncertain economic environment," it added. ■