GALLEY PROOF 1 Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia 55(1) 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/JEM-2021-5501-3 Labour Market Reactions to Lockdown Measures during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Malaysia: An Empirical Note (Tindakbalas Pasaran Buruh terhadap Langkah Sekatan semasa Pandemik Covid-19 di Malaysia: Satu Catatan Empirik) Muzafar Shah Habibullah Putra Business School EIS-UPMCS Centre for Future Labour Market Studies Mohd Yusof Saari EIS-UPMCS Centre for Future Labour Market Studies Badariah Haji Din Universiti Utara Malaysia Sugiharso Safuan Universitas Indonesia Chakrin Utit Universiti Putra Malaysia ABSTRACT In this empirical note, we examine the relationship between the loss of employment and lockdown measures undertaken by the Malaysian government during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak over the period from 25 January 2020 to 10 September 2020. By using cointegration analysis, our results suggest that there are both long-run and short-run relationships between loss of employment and lockdown measures in Malaysia. Lockdown measures show positive impact on the number of workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic. The loss of employment increases by 0.35% to 1.1% for every 1% increase in the lockdown measures. Keywords: Covid-19; Lockdown; Loss of employment; Cointegration; Malaysia JEL Codes: I18 H30 J64 ABSTRAK Catatan empirik ini meneliti hubungan di antara kehilangan pekerjaan dan langkah sekatan yang di ambil oleh kerajaan Malaysia semasa penyebaran pandemik Covid-19 untuk tempoh 25 Januari 2020 hingga 10 September 2020. Dengan mengguna analisa kointegrasi hasil dapatan mencadangkan bahawa wujud kedua-dua hubungan jangka panjang dan jangka pendek di antara kehilangan pekerjaan dan langkah sekatan di Malaysia. Langkah sekatan menunjukkan kesan positif terhadap jumlah pekerja yang kehilangan pekerjaan semasa pandemik ini. Kehilangan pekerjaan meningkat sebanyak 0.35% hingga 1.1% bagi setiap 1% peningkatan terhadap langkah sekatan. Kata kunci: Covid-19; Sekatan ;Kehilangan pekerjaan; Kointegrasi; Malaysia Kod JEL: I18 H30 J64