The services sector dominated Malaysia’s employment in 2023, with around 62.41 percent of the labor force working in that sector. The industrial sector held 27.75 percent of workers, close to the ten-year average. Agricultural employment was down to below 10 percent, a decrease from 2007 that was absorbed by the services sector. Employment sector and productivity Comparing the share of employment to gross domestic product (GDP) in each sector, one can see that the industrial sector is most productive per worker in terms of output. This suggests that Malaysia should continue to invest in its industry and focus on increasing its trade surplus, for example. Regional context Malaysia is part of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. While this bloc has a varied level of development as shown by GDP per capita, the overall level of economic growth in the region has been impressive in the past few decades. The increase in the number of internet users furthers Malaysia’s connection to both the regional and global economy. This suggests that the composition of Malaysia’s economy will continue to evolve in the coming years.

This data set shows the number of employed persons by industry for all states in Malaysia. The statistics is derived from Labour Force Survey (LFS) which is conducted every month using household approach.

Employed persons are those between the working age of 15-64 years old who at any time during the reference week of LFS had worked at least one hour for pay, profit or family gain (as an employer, employee, own-account worker or unpaid family worker).

Industry is classified according to the following classification:

(i) Year 1982-2000, Malaysia Industrial Classification (updated) 1972 based on International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) of All Economic Activities 1968.

(ii) Year 2001-2009, Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification (MSIC) 2000 based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Revision 3.

(iii) Starting 2010, Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification (MSIC) 2008 version 1.0 based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Revision 4.

A person’s industry classification refers to that of his principal occupation.

LFS does not classify the subsistence goods- and services-producing activities of households as persons who are economically active. Therefore, the classification of industry by MSIC 2008 for Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods-and services-producing activities of households for own use only accounted for Activities of households as employers.

W.P. Labuan is gazzeted as a Federal Territory in 1984 while W.P. Putrajaya is gazzeted as a Federal Territory in 2001. The statistics for W.P. Putrajaya for 2001-2010 is treated as part of Selangor. Statistics for W.P. Putrajaya is available separately since 2011 onwards.

LFS was not conducted during the years 1991 and 1994.

In 2024, there were approximately *** million people employed in the manufacturing industry in Malaysia. The number of people employed in this industry has been steadily rising, apart from the slight decline that occurred in 2020.

Abstract

The main objective of the 2011 Labour Force Survey is to collect information on the structure and distribution of labour force, employment and unemployment. Besides furnishing estimates at national and state levels, the survey also produces useful data for urban and rural areas. The comprehensive and systematic approach in the data collection and processing has been maintained over a period of time with the aim of obtaining comparable time series data.

Geographic coverage

The Labour Force Survey covers both urban and rural areas of all states in Malaysia.

Analysis unit

People aged 15 years and over

Universe

The survey population is defined to cover persons who live in private living quarters and hence excludes persons residing in institutions such as hotels, hostels, hospitals, prisons, boarding houses and military barracks. The survey comprises the economically active and inactive population.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sampling frame

The frame used for the Labour Force Survey is from the Household Sampling Frame, Department of Statistics, Malaysia which is made up of Enumeration Blocks (EBs) created for the 2000 Population and Housing Census.

EBs are geographically contiguous areas of land with identifiable boundaries. On average, each EB contains about 80 to 120 living quarters. Generally, all EBs are formed within gazetted boundaries, i.e. within administrative district, mukim or local authority areas.

The EBs in the sampling frame are also classified by urban and rural areas. Urban areas are as defined in the 2000 Population and Housing Census. Urban areas are gazetted areas with their adjoining built-up areas which have a combined population of 10,000 or more at the time of the 2000 Population and Housing Census. All other gazetted areas with a population of less than 10,000 persons and non-gazetted areas are classified as rural. Built-up areas are defined as areas contiguous to a gazetted area and has at least 60 per cent of their population (aged 10 years and over) engaged in nonagricultural activities as well as having modern toilet facilities in their housing units.

Urbanisation is a dynamic process and keeps changing in line with the progress and development. Thus, the urban areas for the 1991 and 2000 censuses do not necessarily refer to the same areas, as areas fulfilling the criteria of urban continue to increase or grow.

For the purpose of urban/rural analysis, the stratum are combined as follows: Urban = Metropolitan + Urban large Rural = Urban small + Rural

Sample design

A stratified two-staged sample design is adopted, that is: Primary stratum = made up of the states in Malaysia Secondary stratum = made up of the urban and rural stratum as defined in para 6.7 and formed within the primary stratum

Samples are drawn independently within each level of the secondary stratum. The first stage units of sample selection are the EBs while the second stage units are the living quarters (LQs) within the EBs. All households and persons within the selected LQs are canvassed. At every stage of selection, the units are selected systematically with equal probability within each level of the secondary stratum.

Sample size

The sample size required is based on the reliability of available past data. Other factors such as cost and availability of staff are also taken into consideration in determining the sample size.

The sampling procedures are more fully described in "Malaysia Labour Force Survey 2011 - Report" pp. 261-264.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire is designed to collect pertinent information on personal characteristics of the survey population and detailed information on economic characteristics of the labour force.

All household members will be asked the following information: (i) relationship to the head of household; (ii) sex; (iii) age; (iv) ethnic and citizenship; (v) marital status; and (vi) educational attainment.

For those aged 15 years and over, their activity status either employed unemployed or outside labour force will be determined. Information collected from the employed include whether they had been working or not during the reference week, the number of hours worked, occupation, industry and status in employment. If they have worked less than 30 hours per week, reasons and willingness to accept additional work is also obtained. If they have not been working during the reference week but have a job to return to, the reasons for not working would be sought.

The following questions will be asked to those who are unemployed: (i) action taken to look for work; (ii) work experience; and (iii) duration of unemployment.

Those who are classified as outside labour force will be asked to state the reasons for not seeking work and work experience, if any.

Sampling error estimates

Sampling error is a result of estimating data based on a probability sampling, not on census. Such error in statistics is termed as relative standard error and often denoted as RSE which is given in percentage. This error is an indication to the precision of the parameter under study. In other words, it reflects the extent of variation with other sample-based estimates.

Sampling errors of estimates on a few important variables at national and state levels are calculated separately. For Labour Force Survey 2011, the labour force participation rate for Malaysia was 64.4 percent with an RSE of 0.25 percent and standard error (SE) of 0.16 percent. At 95 per cent confidence interval (a = 0.05), the labour force participation rate was in the range of 64.08–64.72 percent.

Approximately ***** million people were employed in the services industry in Malaysia in 2023. This indicates a steady growth of employee numbers in an industry where they employ the most people in Malaysia.

% Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Perak data was reported at 8.000 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.100 % for 2016. % Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Perak data is updated yearly, averaging 5.350 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.000 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.900 % in 2013. % Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Perak data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G041: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.

In 2023, the labor force participation rate for residents in Malaysia with non-Malaysian citizenship was at approximately **** percent. By comparison, the labor force participation rate of Malaysian citizens of other ethinicities was **** percent, the lowest out of all ethnic groups in Malaysia. The labor force participation rate is defined as the percentage of the population working or actively seeking work.

% Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Negeri Sembilan data was reported at 5.700 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.400 % for 2016. % Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Negeri Sembilan data is updated yearly, averaging 3.600 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.700 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.300 % in 2010. % Employment: Activities of Households as Employers: Negeri Sembilan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G041: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.

Malaysia % Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Perak data was reported at 6.500 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.900 % for 2016. Malaysia % Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Perak data is updated yearly, averaging 7.500 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.900 % in 2013 and a record low of 6.500 % in 2017. Malaysia % Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Perak data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G041: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.

Malaysia Employment: Female: Rural: Manufacturing data was reported at 0.152 Person mn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.169 Person mn for 2016. Malaysia Employment: Female: Rural: Manufacturing data is updated yearly, averaging 0.199 Person mn from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.205 Person mn in 2013 and a record low of 0.152 Person mn in 2017. Malaysia Employment: Female: Rural: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G035: Labour Force Survey: Employment: By Sex & Industry.

Malaysia % Employment: Urban: Elementary Occupation: Sabah data was reported at 14.400 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.300 % for 2016. Malaysia % Employment: Urban: Elementary Occupation: Sabah data is updated yearly, averaging 13.400 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2017, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.300 % in 2011 and a record low of 10.100 % in 2004. Malaysia % Employment: Urban: Elementary Occupation: Sabah data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G040: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Occupation.

% Employment: Female: Craft & Related Trade Workers: Terengganu data was reported at 4.600 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.800 % for 2016. % Employment: Female: Craft & Related Trade Workers: Terengganu data is updated yearly, averaging 7.200 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2017, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.000 % in 2006 and a record low of 4.600 % in 2017. % Employment: Female: Craft & Related Trade Workers: Terengganu data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G040: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Occupation.

Employment: Male: Rural: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation data was reported at 0.007 Person mn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.009 Person mn for 2016. Employment: Male: Rural: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation data is updated yearly, averaging 0.009 Person mn from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.011 Person mn in 2012 and a record low of 0.006 Person mn in 2014. Employment: Male: Rural: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G035: Labour Force Survey: Employment: By Sex & Industry.

Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Johor data was reported at 16.700 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.000 % for 2016. Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Johor data is updated yearly, averaging 18.000 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.500 % in 2010 and a record low of 16.700 % in 2017. Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Johor data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G041: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.

Employment: Legislators, Senior Officers & Managers data was reported at 0.690 Person mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.658 Person mn for 2016. Employment: Legislators, Senior Officers & Managers data is updated yearly, averaging 0.749 Person mn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.858 Person mn in 2004 and a record low of 0.658 Person mn in 2016. Employment: Legislators, Senior Officers & Managers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G034: Labour Force Survey: Employment: By Sex & Occupation.

Malaysia Employment: Rural: Mining & Quarrying data was reported at 0.019 Person mn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.019 Person mn for 2016. Malaysia Employment: Rural: Mining & Quarrying data is updated yearly, averaging 0.020 Person mn from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.027 Person mn in 2012 and a record low of 0.013 Person mn in 2010. Malaysia Employment: Rural: Mining & Quarrying data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G035: Labour Force Survey: Employment: By Sex & Industry.

% Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Selangor data was reported at 3.400 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.600 % for 2016. % Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Selangor data is updated yearly, averaging 3.000 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.400 % in 2017 and a record low of 2.500 % in 2014. % Employment: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing: Selangor data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G041: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.

Malaysia Employment: Service, Shop & Market Sales Workers data was reported at 3.206 Person mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.176 Person mn for 2016. Malaysia Employment: Service, Shop & Market Sales Workers data is updated yearly, averaging 1.869 Person mn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.206 Person mn in 2017 and a record low of 1.308 Person mn in 2002. Malaysia Employment: Service, Shop & Market Sales Workers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G033: Labour Force Survey: Employment: By Sex & Occupation.

Malaysia % Employment: Clerical Workers: Kuala Lumpur data was reported at 8.000 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.400 % for 2016. Malaysia % Employment: Clerical Workers: Kuala Lumpur data is updated yearly, averaging 9.700 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2017, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.300 % in 2003 and a record low of 7.800 % in 2010. Malaysia % Employment: Clerical Workers: Kuala Lumpur data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G039: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Occupation.

Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Pulau Pinang data was reported at 11.900 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.400 % for 2016. Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Pulau Pinang data is updated yearly, averaging 11.550 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.200 % in 2015 and a record low of 10.800 % in 2012. Malaysia % Employment: Manufacturing: Pulau Pinang data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.G040: Labour Force Survey: Employment: Percentage: By State & Industry.