Cambodia's Labor Force Participation Hits 71.6% with 9.1 Million Employed

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 3, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia’s labour force participation rate climbed to 71.6% in 2025, up from 69.3% in 2019, with approximately 9.1 million people employed, according to the latest labor force survey. The Cambodia Labour Force Survey 2025, released by the Ministry of Planning, indicated that the Kingdom had 13.1 million people of working age, comprising 6.8 million women and 6.3 million men. Participation reached 77.7% among men and 65.9% among women. The employment rate stood at 69%, equivalent to about 9.1 million people. Services accounted for 43% of jobs, followed by industry at 29.4% and agriculture at 27.6%, underscoring the growing role of services and industry in Cambodia’s economy. Unemployment was recorded at 3.6%, or approximately 342,000 people. The number of individuals outside the labor force fell to 3.7 million, or 28.4% of the working-age population, down from 30.7% in 2019. Informal employment remained dominant at 75.1%, compared to 24.9% in formal jobs. Average monthly earnings from primary employment reached 1.2 million riel, with men earning 1.26 million and women earning 1.12 million. The survey was prepared by the National Institute of Statistics with support from the ILO, World Bank, and UNDP. Planning Minister Bin Trachhai stated that the findings would help shape targeted policies and investments to support inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development, urging ministries, institutions, the private sector, and partners to “make data become evidence, and evidence become action.”