Cambodia's Unemployment Rate at 3.6%, Youth Face Challenges: Labor Force Survey Reveals Reality

The 2025 Labor Force Survey, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics, indicates that approximately 3.6% of Cambodians in the working-age population, or over 300,000 people, are unemployed. While the unemployment rate is found to be low, this does not necessarily mean the labor market is efficient. According to the report, recently disseminated on September 2, 2026, the National Institute of Statistics found that in 2025, Cambodia had 342,067 unemployed individuals aged 15 and above. Among them, young people accounted for a higher rate of 51.4%, equivalent to 175,870 individuals (89,983 of whom are female). Out of the more than 340,000 unemployed individuals, over 20,000 have indicated they are continuing to seek employment, while over 130,000 stated they will look for work in the future. More than 150,000 individuals are considered to be outside the labor force (not yet ready for work or not seeking employment). The report reiterates that the 3.6% unemployment rate is still low, but this does not imply an efficient labor market. The report states: "A low unemployment rate can also conceal situations where a large number of employees and self-employed workers are working longer than usual but receiving low income, or it may reflect that the vast majority of employed individuals are in the informal sector, which offers little protection against the risks of income loss or job loss." The Labor Force Survey was conducted from October 25 to November 19, 2025, on a sample of 9,912 households from 708 villages across Cambodia. This is the fifth labor force survey in Cambodia, following those in 2000, 2001, 2012, and 2019. Article by Hun Sereyvath.