Page 239 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 4

CPS2214 Riyanti S. et al.
1982 1,869.1 1,783.7 2,333.1 44.5 4.6
Female 2010 4,348.4 4,191.7 4,951.2 46.8 3.6
2018 5,950.1 5,734.2 4,823.2 55.2 3.6
Source: LFS, DOSM
Although female registered lower LFPR, they are evidently catching up. As
female population within the working age increased 2.6 per cent annually to
10.8 million, female labour force grew at a much faster rate of 3.2 per cent to
register 5.7 million. Among the female who join the labour market in 1982, 4.6
per cent were unemployed. Female unemployment rate improved by 1.0
percentage points to register unemployment rate of 3.6 per cent in 2018. Even
if male always registered lower unemployment rate, it was observed that male
unemployment rate went up from 2.7 per cent in 1982 to 3.1 per cent in 2018.
Chart 3.1 indicates the LFPR of male and female population aged 15 to 64
years in Malaysia from 1982 until 2018. In terms of level, a notable gap was
witnessed between male and female LFPR. While male LFPRs were often more
than 80 per cent, female LFPR never exceeded 50 per cent prior to 2010.
Throughout the period of 1982 to 2010, the LFPR hovered within 63 per cent
to 66 per cent. Male LFPR depicted a rather obvious downward trend from
85.3 per cent (1982) to 79.3 per cent (2010) while female LFPR rose marginally
from 44.5 per cent in 1982 to 46.8 per cent in 2010. Post 2010, the national
LFPR registered an increase of 4.6 percentage points against 2010 to mark an
all-time high of 68.3 per cent in 2018. This was mainly attributed by the hike
of 8.4 percentage points in female LFPR as opposed to a rise of 1.1 percentage
points of male LFPR.

Chart 3.1: LFPR by sex, Malaysia, 1982-2018

Note: LFS was not conducted in 1991 and 1994. The absence of LFS for the two years was due
to resources constraint as the organisation prioritised the implementation of Population and
Housing Census in 1991 and the Agriculture Census in 1994
Source: LFS, DOSM

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