Economy minister Akmal Nasir said the figure, while notable, does not yet indicate large-scale strain on the labour market due to rising energy costs, though it requires onitoring.

“A total of 4,708 workers were reported to have lost their jobs in the first 16 days of April,” he said in a televised briefing on the global energy crisis today.

“This trend still requires close monitoring. For now, it does not show large-scale pressure, but past experience has shown that the impact of rising energy costs on employment usually emerges with a time lag.”

It was previously reported that there were 5,900 job losses in March, a decrease from the 7,500 reported in February, and 10,700 in January.

Akmal said the second quarter of 2026 would be a key period to assess whether rising cost pressures faced by companies would begin to translate into operational cutbacks or layoffs.

“What we are facing now is no longer a short-term shock. It is not just an issue of oil prices, but has developed into a global supply crisis affecting energy costs, logistics, raw materials, food, services and ultimately the daily lives of the people,” he said.

He also said inflationary pressures are also becoming more visible domestically, with the consumer price index rising to 1.7% in March from 1.4% in February, driven largely by higher transport costs.

Akmal said food prices showed mixed movements in recent weeks, with the prices of chicken and vegetables rising, while beef and fish declined, and eggs remained stable.

“Supply pressure does not occur uniformly but varies by category and is influenced by various factors such as weather, agricultural input costs, transportation costs and short-term supply fluctuations,” he said.