|

Malaysia: Labour market keeps recovering – UOB

UOB Group’s Senior Economist Julia Goh and Economist Loke Siew Ting reviewed the latest labour market data in Malaysia.

Key Quotes

“Malaysia’s labour market conditions continued to improve with the unemployment rate falling to 4.7% in Jul (from 4.9% in Jun) and further 83.2k persons gained employment. The labour force participation rate held steady at 68.1%.”

“Total employment rose above 15 million persons for the first time in four months. Most economic sectors posted an increase in hiring since Jun, led by the services sector particularly accommodation, food & beverages, and transport & storage activities. The increase in employment in the manufacturing sector was led by electrical & electronics, metal-related, printing, plastic, motor vehicles, and rubber products sub-industries.”

“Although a recovery is underway, the labour market is expected to face hurdles as some of the relief measures expire at the end of Sep. The entrance of new graduates and workers returning to seek employment as economic conditions improve should see a higher labour force participation rate. We expect the unemployment rate to ease further to 4.5% by year-end.”

Author

Pablo Piovano

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

More from Pablo Piovano
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD moves sideways below 1.1800 on Christmas Eve

EUR/USD struggles to find direction and trades in a narrow channel below 1.1800 after posting gains for two consecutive days. Bond and stock markets in the US will open at the usual time and close early on Christmas Eve, allowing the trading action to remain subdued. 

GBP/USD keeps range around 1.3500 amid quiet markets

GBP/USD keeps its range trade intact at around 1.3500 on Wednesday. The Pound Sterling holds the upper hand over the US Dollar amid pre-Christmas light trading as traders move to the sidelines heading into the holiday season. 

Gold retreats from record highs, trades below $4,500

Gold retreats after setting a new record-high above $4,520 earlier in the day and trades in a tight range below $4,500 as trading volumes thin out ahead of the Christmas break. The US Dollar selling bias remains unabated on the back of dovish Fed expectations, which continues to act as a tailwind for the bullion amid persistent geopolitical risks.

Bitcoin slips below $87,000 as ETF outflows intensify, whale participation declines

Bitcoin price continues to trade around $86,770 on Wednesday, after failing to break above the $90,000 resistance. US-listed spot ETFs record an outflow of $188.64 million on Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day of withdrawals.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Avalanche struggles near $12 as Grayscale files updated form for ETF

Avalanche trades close to $12 by press time on Wednesday, extending the nearly 2% drop from the previous day. Grayscale filed an updated form to convert its Avalanche-focused Trust into an ETF with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.