Malaysia - Labor force, total

The value for Labor force, total in Malaysia was 16,277,080 as of 2021. As the graph below shows, over the past 31 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 16,277,080 in 2021 and a minimum value of 7,089,928 in 1990.

Definition: Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 7,089,928
1991 7,297,079
1992 7,660,178
1993 7,961,007
1994 8,091,160
1995 8,225,692
1996 8,692,919
1997 8,880,338
1998 8,993,055
1999 9,272,180
2000 9,685,225
2001 9,940,132
2002 10,143,870
2003 10,587,610
2004 10,756,180
2005 10,880,380
2006 11,202,270
2007 11,444,490
2008 11,635,140
2009 11,983,960
2010 12,267,640
2011 12,808,350
2012 13,338,670
2013 13,944,250
2014 14,286,290
2015 14,617,020
2016 14,858,270
2017 15,155,000
2018 15,523,130
2019 15,885,300
2020 16,085,580
2021 16,277,080

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The labor force is the supply of labor available for producing goods and services in an economy. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave. Data are generated with World Bank population estimates and ILO estimates on labor force participation rate. The ILO estimates are harmonized to ensure comparability across countries and over time by accounting for differences in data source, scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. The estimates are based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (population censuses and nationally reported estimates) used only when no survey data are available.

Aggregation method: Sum

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Labor force structure