More women in the labor market, but even more gains possible. Higher levels of education and more jobs in the services sector have helped to boost women’s labor force participation, which increased substantially from 46 percent in 2009 to 53.6 percent in 2014. Government policies to make childcare and pre-primary education more accessible have also helped. Ensuring the quality of these options and paying greater attention to the role of gender norms is necessary to make lasting improvements in women’s labor force participation.
The Malaysia Economic Monitor series provides an analytical perspective on the policy challenges facing Malaysia as it grows into a high-income economy. The series also represents an effort to reach out to a broad audience, including policymakers, private sector leaders, market participants, civil society, and academia.