Kuala lumpur: Labour productivity per hour worked grew by 4.9 per cent to RM46.3 per hour in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, according to the Labour Productivity Statistics, Fourth Quarter 2025, released by the Department of Statistics (DOSM) today. Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said Malaysia's economy expanded 6.3 per cent in the Q4 2025, as compared to 5.4 per cent in the preceding quarter. "During the same period, total hours worked increased by 1.4 per cent to 9.9 billion hours (Q3 2025: 1.3 per cent; 9.8 billion hours)," he said in a statement today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Uzir stated that the total employment rose to 17.1 million persons in the fourth quarter of 2025, registering a year-on-year growth of 1.8 per cent (Q3 2025: 17.0 million persons; 1.5 per cent), while labour productivity per employment increased 4.4 per cent to record value added per employment at RM26,765 per person (Q3 2025: 3.9 per cent; RM26,122 per person). Sectoral performance for labour productivity measured as value added per hour worked rose across all sectors in the quarter, led by construction (10.3 per cent), followed by manufacturing (6.4 per cent), agriculture (5.5 per cent), mining and quarrying (5.1 per cent), and services (4.0 per cent).
Labour productivity per hour worked in the services sector rose this quarter, supported by growth in all subsectors except utilities and finance and insurance, with food and beverages and accommodation leading at 7.9 per cent, followed by other services (7.2 per cent) and information and communication at 6.4 per cent. In terms of labour productivity measured by value added per employment, each sector showed different growth rates during this quarter. The construction sector led the overall performance by posting a substantial rise of 10.1 per cent, followed by agriculture (5.4 per cent), manufacturing (5.1 per cent), services (3.7 per cent), and mining and quarrying 1.3 per cent.
Commenting further on the overall performance of labour productivity for the full year 2025, Mohd Uzir said the performance of labour productivity per hour worked for the year 2025 demonstrated a positive momentum at 3.7 per cent (2024: 2.1 per cent), recording value added per hour worked of RM44.5 per hour (2024: RM42.9 per hour). Likewise, labour productivity per employment accelerated 3.4 per cent (2024: 2.4 per cent) with value added per employment at RM102,672 per person (2024: RM99,265 per person).