Thai unemployment at its worst point in 14 years

[Caldera]

And then there's the huge informal sector, with often seasonal work and significant underemployment.

 

Another lost tourism "high season" certainly won't help either.

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

Thailand is still short of work force and need more migrant workers from neighboring countries, according to several news articles, so might be that there are plenty of jobs available, but people are not interested in those jobs...????

Spot on. Have you ever seen a Thai working on a construction site? Or, as others have pointed out, working for 15-20,000 baht as a waiter/waitress is beneath most Thais. As is any work where you cannot just sit around all day, playing with your phone...

Edited December 10, 2021 by StayinThailand2much

[kimamey]

51 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Because migrant workers are slave labour, happy to reside in a camp structure or within a factory.

Work long hours for minimal wages and no benefits.

 

I believe they aren't covered by minimum wage rules either unless that's changed. 

[n8sail]

3 minutes ago, kimamey said:

I believe they aren't covered by minimum wage rules either unless that's changed. 

As I understand it they still get minimum wage same as a Thai, at least in the factory I work at.  They are cheaper because the employer does not have to pay into the social security fund for them, which nearly doubles the cost of a worker.

Where I work we need workers very badly.  Thais show up, work for a week or two and quit because it's not easy work.  Myanmar workers are amazing, work hard and tend to stick around as long as they can.  Used to have a bunch of Cambodians, they were not much better than Thais.

All that said, there are many Thais working here that work incredibly hard, and are very smart people.  They are usually in their 30s and 40s, have a family to support, and have been employed here for 10+ years.  It's the ones in their 20s that are miserably entitled and lazy from what I can see.

[keithkarmann]

54 minutes ago, Almer said:

Well there are more than 2.3% in the village in Issan I live, 23% more like,

I guess you are an optimist, I would put it more like 75% in our village.

[Mywayboy]

5 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thailand employers are screaming out for foreign workers so there are vacancies.  In my experience the average Thai worker is to be found lying horizontal next to a paddy field, willing the rice to grow. They would not last a day in Europe without collapsing from exhaustion.

Of the 97.7% in employment, how many actually work?  Is the speed reader at Macro working when he checks 167 items on your bill in under one second, working?  Are the groups of Thaiwatsadu assistants hiding in the basement classed as employed? RTP draw a wage without working weekends/nights; starting after 10am & finishing before 5pm - they are invisible otherwise.

Decimal point in the wrong place more like 23%

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

It's pretty astronomical as Thailand unemployment has always been zero 

More false information, do the homework before making ridiculous claims.

https://www.focus-economics.com/country-indicator/thailand/unemployment

 

 

[Pravda]

14 minutes ago, sandyf said:

More false information, do the homework before making ridiculous claims.

https://www.focus-economics.com/country-indicator/thailand/unemployment

 

 

 

It was meant as tongue in cheek, but anyhoo it looks like you didn't read your own link. Quite a few zeroes there, whowouldathought 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cake Monster]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This is putting considerable strain on household finances. 

And that is why Household Debt has soared to 94 % of GDP over the last 6 Months.

While Prayut urges Thais to go out and spend Money on Vacations to save the Industry

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

They (unemployed Thais) were at their worst level in 14 years - 2.3% of the workforce was out of work

For reference in today's Cambodian Press (10 December 2021):-

 

"Cambodian workers are starting to cross the borders to work legally in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province, as the Thai authorities plan to accept 20,000 Cambodian workers"

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50985752/thailand-plans-to-receive-20000-legal-cambodian-workers/

 

We all know why, so no more comment from me.

 

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Spot on. Have you ever seen a Thai working on a construction site? Or, as others have pointed out, working for 15-20,000 baht as a waiter/waitress is beneath most Thais.

Yes numerous.

 

About half the workers that were building my house were Thais, a number of workers came from Laos and one was from India.

 

I have many Thai friends working as cook, as waiter/waitress, or even as room maid in many star resorts, for up to 15,000 baht a month.

 

But some few that got unemployed after the Covid-lockdown didn't want to change profession - for example be quite well paid guard in a shopping mall - but rather wait until reopening, and the former profession becomes available. Some might feel that certain jobs are too low status, so they' might loose face and therefore rather don't work.

 

The Thai unemployment rate is however relative low compared to many other countries; it's 4.3 percent in UK and 4.6 percent is USA.

[Burma Bill]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

They ( unemployment figures) were at their worst level in 14 years - 2.3% of the workforce was out of work

For reference from today's Cambodian press (10 December 2021):-

 

"Cambodian workers are starting to cross the borders to work legally in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province, as the Thai authorities plan to accept 20,000 Cambodian workers" 

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50985752/thailand-plans-to-receive-20000-legal-cambodian-workers/

 

I presume most of us know why, so I will make no further comment.

[kimamey]

2 hours ago, n8sail said:

As I understand it they still get minimum wage same as a Thai, at least in the factory I work at.  They are cheaper because the employer does not have to pay into the social security fund for them, which nearly doubles the cost of a worker.

Where I work we need workers very badly.  Thais show up, work for a week or two and quit because it's not easy work.  Myanmar workers are amazing, work hard and tend to stick around as long as they can.  Used to have a bunch of Cambodians, they were not much better than Thais.

All that said, there are many Thais working here that work incredibly hard, and are very smart people.  They are usually in their 30s and 40s, have a family to support, and have been employed here for 10+ years.  It's the ones in their 20s that are miserably entitled and lazy from what I can see.

Things may have changed as I was thinking of the legal minimum wage put in place by the Yingluck government which I'm sure was just for Thais. I guess that was to show the Thai electorate that the government was looking after them and not all the foreigners but of course that just lead to migrants being employed instead of Thais and at a cheaper rate.

 

My wife told me that several companies either moved their factories or built new ones closer to the borders to take advantage of the fact they could pay lower wages to people just over the border.

 

I've seen the lazy Thais as well but I know they aren't all like that. My wife's sister and husband who both sadly passed away in their 50s were always hard workers either in the rice fields or building sites. I remember seeing them building a wall at our house when the temperature was 41%C.

 

I don't know how bad the situation and if those figures were correct then that would almost count as full employment but I suspect that a lot of Thais work outside of government data collection areas. I know the number of people who have lost their jobs concerns my wife as she sees this as part of her job.

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thailand employers are screaming out for foreign workers

Yes indeed and from today's Khmer Press (10 December 2021):-

 

"Cambodian workers are starting to cross the borders to work legally in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province, as the Thai authorities plan to accept 20,000 Cambodian workers"

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50985752/thailand-plans-to-receive-20000-legal-cambodian-workers/

[TheScience]

Probably 2.3% of those already in the SSO system which would be a serious number.

 

That would leave  out underemployed, recent graduates and millions of informal and freelance workers as well as all those in the tourism and sex industry. So, perhaps?? Ten percent?

[tomyami]

Hugh employment protections for thai workers may have discourage employers and many thai workers have more sick leave, migrants more deligent and hungry for jobs.

High baht is hurting exports causing downward wage pressure might suit emigrants over thai's.

 

[ArcticFox]

How many "non-essential" workers and businesses were permanently put out of business by the government based on a virus scare?  There has just been another massive transfer of wealth from the have-nots to the haves.

[trainman34014]

A large proportion of the Male Population are Bone Idle and have no intention of working if they can get away with it.  There are so many still 'living with Mum and Dad' into their 40's and never taken any responsibility for anything; including Children Born to Girlfriends who were left to fend for themselves years ago.    Even those that are 'Married'; or what they call Married after a Party in the Village, still in many cases don't work but rely on their 'Wives' to go to work for up to 15 hours a day to not just feed the Family but supply all the money for Bills, Beer and Tobacco.   We have Female Neighbours who left these idle Jerks years ago, went back to live with Mum and took the Kid(s) with them and the Men never visit the Kids or make any financial contributions or offer any help whatsoever.   Much of this has to be blamed on succeeding Governments of all colours who have never done anything about errant Males and poor parenting for never teaching them anything about 'Responsibility', 'Accountability' and the like.

[Jerno]

Hundreds thousands out of work with so many businesses closed or downsized and it's merely 2.3% unemployment?  Not a chance. Though previously it's always near zero which is impossible. Ask any MacroEconomist, outside Thailand that is...

[gejohesch]

8 hours ago, mikebell said:

In my experience the average Thai worker is to be found lying horizontal next to a paddy field, willing the rice to grow. They would not last a day in Europe without collapsing from exhaustion.

 

Not questioning the rest of your message, but on this (picked out from your message), I would like to comment a bit. True, the "average" Thai worker can appear to be very lazy (and probably there are lots of lazy people in Thailand), but it is often impressive how Thais can put in what I would call "concentrated bouts of work". You need anything done in the house? No problem, find the right guys (or girls) and get it fixed in no time (painting, roofing, masonry, whatever). Myself, I often do not even have to call on people outside the house, my wife is a do-it-all wonder worker and I often have to tell her to work less.

As for not lasting at work in Europe, again, I wonder if it's totally true. I came across Thais in Europe who say they work in the agricultural sector (like picking up fruits and veggies). They would not be employed in Europe if they were laying horizontal for hours on....

[MrJ2U]

9 hours ago, Bohemianfish said:

That seems pretty low

For sure!

 

Many countries would envy that number.

 

Unfortunately it's just not accurate, they need to getting rid of that decimal point.

 

[freedomnow]

Immovable currency none-the-less....showing up their currency with gold/assets is going to go against them especially in near future.

 

Currency devaluation gives TOURISTS better purchasing power...exactly a reason to come in the near future.....

Edited December 10, 2021 by freedomnow

[Lingba]

Thai unemployment at its worst point in 14 years

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[CartagenaWarlock]

9 hours ago, Bohemianfish said:

That seems pretty low. How do they measure it? It it just people actively looking for work? Certainly, not people not looking, or just gave up.

Most countries measure by people actively looking for work and there is another component of unemployment called labor participation in the workforce. Thai unemployment even before the covid was suspicious. 

[spidermike007]

Of course it is. It is likely higher than in 1997. It is likely 30%. The clowns do not want to talk about this, nor discuss their responsibility, culpability, or malfeasance. 

 

The degree of sabotage they have engaged in is unforgivable. Hopefully, at some point these fools will be brought to trial. One can hope. 

[Albert Zweistein]

8 hours ago, itsari said:

How can 50 percent of there average pay be worth nothing ??

Nothing to you perhaps . But most Thais don't waste there money on overpriced coffee .

No, they need the money for gambling.

[NobbyClarke]

Not to worry plenty of work in the" New Pattaya"

The Chinese will bring in their own workforce.

[Srikcir]

If annual unemployment figures are taken at face value (which I personally believe to be substantially higher, ie., number of college students unable to find jobs, need for millions of migrant workers and skilled workforce), unemployment hit a LOW of 0.5% in 2013 during Yingluck's PTP regime. Thereafter, from 2014 (following PDRC shutdown of government and Prayut's subsequent military overthrow of the elected government in 2014 and Prayut's subsequent term as an "elected" PM, unemployment has steady INCREASED to what it is today.

"Thailand Unemployment Rate, " www.tradindeconomics.com

10 years through 2021Q3.

Social and income inequality has never been so high over that time span. Any minor improvement subsequent is almost irrelevant now to the nation's economic wellbeing. 

 

[spermwhale]

16 hours ago, Bohemianfish said:

That seems pretty low. How do they measure it? It it just people actively looking for work? Certainly, not people not looking, or just gave up.

Thailand doesn't measure it the same as most other countries. They include people in the informal economy, people who have roadside shops or sell in open-air markets. The numbers are complete <deleted> and paint a much rosier picture than reality. 

[Stargeezr]

I believe the head line, but I surely do not believe the percentage. TIT,  say no more.