Recent statistics revealed on Monday (Aug 6) showed that about 500,000 Malaysians are currently jobless. According to the figures given by Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali in Dewan Rakyat, the highest rate of unemployment is found Labuan (8.6 percent), then followed by Sabah (5.5 percent) and Terengganu (4.5 percent).

The highest number of unemployed are in the age group of 15 to 24 (10.8 percent), followed by 25 to 34 (2.9 percent), 35 to 44 (1.1 percent), 45 to 54 (1 percent) and 55 to 64 (0.4 percent). The stark contrast between the age group of 15 to 24 and the other age groups suggests that the highest number of jobless are younger Malaysians who are just entering the job market for the first time.

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In a written reply to Zahidi Zainul Abidin (BN-Padang Besar), Mr. Mohamed said that diploma holders comprised the biggest group of jobseekers followed by SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education) holders.

Mr. Zahidi had asked Azmin to state the number of unemployed and their qualifications. He also wanted to know the long-term measures to reduce unemployment among youths, Free Malaysia Today reports.

In response, Mr. Mohamed said there were measures to reduce unemployment by identifying market needs and through re-skilling and up-skilling training. “There are also soft skills training, on-the-job training and professional skill training,” he added.

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