KUALA LUMPUR: The top 10 per cent of formal sector employees earned at least RM11,500 a month in March 2026, more than six times the wages of the country’s lowest-paid workers.

The Statistics Department reported that 7.9 per cent of formal employees earned below RM1,700 a month in March 2026, a decrease of two percentage points from the corresponding month last year.

The department said the figures highlight a clear gap between high and low earners.

Despite this, the labour market remained stable, with employment still growing.

The number of formal workers rose 3.8 per cent year-on-year to 7.05 million in March 2026.

Men made up 55 per cent of the workforce and had a median wage of RM3,064, slightly higher than RM3,000 for women.

Workers aged 45 to 49 earned the highest median wages, ranging from RM4,100 to RM4,156 in the first quarter.

All age groups saw wage growth, except workers under 20.

Workers aged 55 to 59 recorded the biggest wage rise, while those under 20 stayed at RM1,700 since February 2025.

Kuala Lumpur had the highest median wage at RM4,527, followed by Selangor (RM3,445) and Penang (RM3,064).

Kelantan, Perlis and Sabah had the lowest median monthly wages, ranging from RM1,827 to RM2,082.