Employment in Malé City saw a modest increase in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics. The data shows an overall strengthening of the labour market, although gender disparities and rising numbers outside the labour force remain notable.
The working-age population in Malé stood at 187,390 during the quarter, with Maldivians making up 68 percent (127,696 people) and foreigners accounting for 32 percent (59,694 people). Out of this population, 142,431 were in the labour force.
Employment rose by 584 people compared with the previous quarter, reaching 140,255 in Q1 2025. This represents about three-quarters (74.8 percent) of the working-age population. The increase was mainly driven by foreign men, whose participation rose, while Maldivian men recorded a decline.
Unemployment dropped sharply to 2,176 persons, a 34 percent fall from the previous quarter. Almost all of the unemployed were Maldivians, with women slightly outnumbering men. The overall unemployment rate fell to 1.5 percent, down 0.8 percentage points, though the rate among Maldivians was higher at 2.5 percent. For Maldivian women, unemployment was 3.2 percent, compared with 1.9 percent for men.
Despite low unemployment, labour underutilisation remains a concern. The survey reported 2,783 people in time-related underemployment, representing 2 percent of those employed. More significantly, the potential labour force – individuals not actively seeking work but available to take up jobs – increased by 11 percent to 7,622. Combined, these figures pushed the broader measure of labour underutilisation (LU4) to 8.4 percent, with a much higher rate for women (15.9 percent) compared to men (5.3 percent).
Industry data showed that the economy of Malé is heavily service-oriented. The tertiary sector employed 113,412 people, representing over 80 percent of all jobs. The secondary sector accounted for 26,404 jobs (19 percent), while the primary sector, largely concentrated in the atolls, employed just 196 people. The quarter’s net job gains came entirely from services, while employment in the secondary sector declined.
At the same time, the number of people outside the labour force rose by 1,861 to 44,959, meaning 36 percent of the working-age population in Malé were neither employed nor seeking employment. Women made up the majority of this group, with household responsibilities cited as the main reason for non-participation, while men more often reported studying or long-term illness.
The survey highlights a dual reality: while employment and unemployment indicators improved in early 2025, a growing share of the population remains on the margins of the labour market, with women disproportionately affected by underutilisation and inactivity.
