Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's unemployment rate remained at 3.0 percent in July 2026, unchanged from the previous month, with 520,300 people recorded as unemployed, according to the latest Labour Force Statistics released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, DOSM reported a 0.1 percent month-on-month increase in the labour force, reaching 17.37 million persons in July 2026, up from 17.34 million in June. The labour force participation rate held steady at 70.9 percent.

The number of employed persons rose slightly by 0.1 percent to 16.85 million in July, from 16.83 million in June, as stated in a DOSM statement.

The department noted that the employee category, which made up 74.9 percent of total employment, increased by 0.1 percent to 12.62 million persons. Meanwhile, the number of self-employed individuals rose by 0.3 percent to 3.16 million.

The services sector continued to be the main contributor to employment in July, driven by activities in arts, entertainment and recreation; accommodation and food and beverage services; along with finance and insurance or takaful activities.

Employment also rose across all other sectors, including agriculture, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and construction, according to DOSM.

Active unemployed individuals, or those available for work and actively seeking employment, accounted for 79.3 percent of the total unemployed, with their numbers increasing by 0.4 percent to 412,600.

DOSM highlighted that 63.5 percent of the active unemployed had been without work for less than three months, while 5.4 percent had been jobless for more than one year.

The unemployment rate among youths aged 15 to 24 remained at 10.2 percent, with 292,500 unemployed persons. For those aged 15 to 30, the unemployment rate increased to 6.4 percent from 6.3 percent in June.

DOSM indicated that Malaysia's labour market remained robust and resilient in July 2026, with ongoing employment growth and a low unemployment rate.

'Economic structural changes and technological advancements highlight the necessity to continuously bolster human capital development to ensure the national workforce remains competitive and able to meet future labour market demands,' the statement concluded.