Thailand’s Q1 unemployment rate improves, but number of jobless graduates still high

[webfact]

 

By Panithan Onthaworn

 

Thailand’s unemployment rate fell in the first quarter of 2022, but the number of unemployed new graduates remained high, according to the latest report by  the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). 

 

The number of unemployed people in the first quarter stood at 610,000, representing the unemployment rate of 1.53 per cent. The figures are up from 1.64 percent in the previous quarter and 1.96 percent from a year ago.

 

Although the NESDC said the first-quarter unemployment rate is the lowest since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rising number of jobless graduates is still one of the concerns for the job market ahead. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/40348/thailands-q1-unemployment-rate-improves-but-number-of-jobless-graduates-still-high/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-05-23

 

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[allane]

If my country had some fool with a whistle in his mouth at every parking lot, I think we could have 2 %  unemployment too.  Come to think of it, I'm going to suggest that. Maybe I will win the award for Citizen of the Year.

[xtrnuno41]

Yeah changes are low in Thailand.

Government had 4 positions to give. My wife had to handle first shifting of the 2000 applications they got.

And that was even before corona.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of unemployed people in the first quarter stood at 610,000, representing the unemployment rate of 1.53 per cent.

Absolute  fake news if I ever heard it.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, allane said:

If my country had some fool with a whistle in his mouth at every parking lot, I think we could have 2 %  unemployment too.  Come to think of it, I'm going to suggest that. Maybe I will win the award for Citizen of the Year.

Presuming you're a foreign person I wouldn't bank on that.

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of unemployed people in the first quarter stood at 610,000, representing the unemployment rate of 1.53 per cent. The figures are up from 1.64 percent in the previous quarter and 1.96 percent from a year ago.

1.53 percent unemployment is "up" from 1.64 and 1.96 percent! Yes, makes perfect sense (by Thai logic)!

 

What are they hiding?

[StayinThailand2much]

36 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Yeah changes are low in Thailand.

Government had 4 positions to give. My wife had to handle first shifting of the 2000 applications they got.

And that was even before corona.

The official unemployment rate has been consistently between 1.6 and 1.96 percent since, at least, 2000 (when I first read such news). Amazing Thailand, indeed!

Edited May 23, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[StayinThailand2much]

38 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

My wife had to handle first shifting of the 2000 applications they got.

Maybe everyone unemployed in Thailand applied for that particular job... ????

[zzaa09]

30 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Absolute  fake news if I ever heard it.

Fake news [whatever that is] has become all too commonplace and the bane of our existence. 

[RichardColeman]

When I read 'bed time fables' like this , I am reminded that the reason they have high employment is due to wages being ridiculously low. Should they suddenly start having western style wages here, I can pretty much guarantee unemployment here at about 50% up , as their jobs are totally reliant on their low wages

[StayinThailand2much]

56 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

When I read 'bed time fables' like this , I am reminded that the reason they have high employment is due to wages being ridiculously low. Should they suddenly start having western style wages here, I can pretty much guarantee unemployment here at about 50% up , as their jobs are totally reliant on their low wages

Not 10 people just standing around anymore in shops and supermarkets... - I remember those hostesses at Kasikorn Bank, keen to fill out my bank forms. Yeah, right! Why don't I give you my ATM PIN, too?

Edited May 23, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[spidermike007]

Since it is estimated at least half of Thailand's economy was underground, cash and off the books, these numbers are sheer foolishness. Likely 10 times that, at 15% nationwide. The economy here is decimated. 

[Sydebolle]

Well, if any of those 610'000 fellows would not be toooooooo lazy, I know of jobs to fill in waiting on tables in upmarket restaurants, starting with THB 18,000 plus tip = not less than totally THB 25,000. 

This is for a person speaking some English, can walk straight and has a pleasant appearance. 

For others there are cook helper jobs starting at THB 15,000. 

Experience by all restaurateurs - and I know quite a few - is unisono the same swan song. If anyone calls for a job, the make an appointment and in most, i.e. 95% of the cases, nobody shows up. 

Bottomline is, they want the money but not the work; rather fiddle around day-in-day-out on the mobile phones on "Feht" (Thai for Facebook), "Lie" (Thai for LINE) etc. 

[lungbing]

My daughter has an honours degree in German and speaks excellent English too.  She works in a major hospital in the north-east and gets the princely sum of 10,500 baht a month.  I have to subsidise her, otherwise she's earning just to be able to go to work.  The last promotion in her office went to the bosses niece who didn't work there and had no experience.

[GinBoy2]

12 hours ago, lungbing said:

My daughter has an honours degree in German and speaks excellent English too.  She works in a major hospital in the north-east and gets the princely sum of 10,500 baht a month.  I have to subsidise her, otherwise she's earning just to be able to go to work.  The last promotion in her office went to the bosses niece who didn't work there and had no experience.

The problem for graduates in Thailand is that Thai degrees have little to no value in the International market, and Thai employers know that, so they are stuck in Thailand.

Which coupled with the workplace nepotism, as you describe means their employment prospects and potential earnings are little better than a HS dropout in the West.

 

Our son went to college in the US and pretty soon he realized that coming back to Thailand after he graduated was pointless, and stayed in the US and has a successful and very lucrative career

[xtrnuno41]

19 hours ago, lungbing said:

My daughter has an honours degree in German and speaks excellent English too.  She works in a major hospital in the north-east and gets the princely sum of 10,500 baht a month.  I have to subsidise her, otherwise she's earning just to be able to go to work.  The last promotion in her office went to the bosses niece who didn't work there and had no experience.

Red your comment. Was curious of what her function is in the hospital, is she a nurse then? Or is she in an administrative function? The whopping 10500 is a joke.

In 2007  i met a Thai woman, she was first a cook, but made 9000 baht. Doing 12 hours /day and 7 days. Wasnt even enough for her at that moment (2007), she had to raise 2 kids living in Phitsanulok.

 

Maybe she has to move and or find another job, as skilled in languages.

In Thailand, especially government officers in any kind of function, are floating around all over the country. Families are torn apart, just like that.  Man can have a function in the south and when he is married with another officer, she could have a function in the north, just like that. My wife also floated in her life to many provinces.

 

Two nieces of her graduated in university and luckily they have a job, but far away from home and family. One in Surat Thani and the other close to BK.

One is a herbalist pharmacist, the other a pharmacist, but they are doing more then 10000 baht. Im not real sure, but thought 35000 and 60000 baht.

But even the latter (pharmacist) is thinking about emigration to Australia.

She is just working for 3 years now and despite her income, fed up with Thai system with medicines. So even want to move, however that will take a great effort for her.

She will need to go back to school again, as Australia has other level then Thailand.

However Australia is screaming now for pharmacists.

 

In "my" country they are screaming for everything. There is a shortage in healthcare, teachers, police, construction builders, technical personnel. Even people to work in horeca, serving food and beer and so on.

Amazing is to see on tv, a young (foreign) woman working in baby care is send back to her country, as her study was up. Despite she was totally involved and highly appreciated by her colleges, where she was working and doing her job right.

Nope , send back and they are not able to find another one. Thats "my" country.

The government is not knowing what they are doing and it is going really down hill.

Last week, a tunnel had to be closed for traffic, because 2 guardians had gone sick.

And due to safety rules, the tunnel couldnt stay open and they closed it for traffic.

 

In the mean time, we have 7000 refugees (and they come from everywhere) sitting and waiting  to get in "my " country, misbehaving, costing me money.

We already had an inflow of many Syrians and guess what, about 64000 Ukrainian people now.

We dont even have houses for our own people, but seems we do have for them and even they go to work here. Im flabbergasted, well already since long time.

I will stop, as i can go and on.

But maybe your daughter wants a job in "my" country? As we have a shortage on healthcare people.  Otherwise i would suggest to find another job in Thailand , at least one who wants to pay. Maybe she could become an interpreter?

Maybe moving away, as many Thai do. 

[BangkokReady]

On 5/23/2022 at 3:55 PM, hotchilli said:

Presuming you're a foreign person I wouldn't bank on that.

I doubt he's a foreign person in "his country".

[lungbing]

My daughter works in the dept ordering supplies and liaises with suppliers.

[Bangkokhatter]

1 hour ago, lungbing said:

My daughter works in the dept ordering supplies and liaises with suppliers.

To earn more she probably needs to relocate to BKK or Eastern Seaboard, plenty of German companies.

 

Also contact German-Thai Chamber of Commerce for more info.