Fresh graduates hardest hit as joblessness rises in Thailand

[webfact]

EMPLOYMENT
Fresh graduates hardest hit as joblessness rises
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND's unemployment rate increased slightly in the first quarter amid low economic growth, while new graduates found it harder to find jobs, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board reported yesterday.

NESDB deputy secretary-general Chutinart Wongsuban told a news conference yesterday that the unemployment rate increased from 0.89 per cent at the end of last year to 0.94 in the first quarter, while the largest unemployed group was new graduates.

"There are currently 361,297 people who are unemployed and 164,159 of them are newly graduated, a rise of 13.1 per cent from last year," she said.

According to the statistics, 1.54 per cent of graduates with bachelor's degrees are out of work.

Commenting on the current employment trend, Chutinart |said the engineering field was the most desired area to work in because of demand for professionals in the sector due to major infrastructure projects like high-speed railways.

"The most unemployed field is journalism and communications, with 2.77 per cent of the bachelor's degree graduates still without a job," she said.

"A degree in arts is next on the list, with 2.76 per cent of the new graduates from this field unemployed, and 2.71 per cent of humanities-degree graduates are jobless."

In related news, the average salary in the private sector has risen by 4.6 per cent to Bt11,678 per month from a year ago.

However, the average wage for labourers in the agriculture sector decreased by 0.3 per cent because of the drought.

"Most of the job vacancies these days require a vocational to high-vocational certificate, which the new graduates in such degrees [as bachelor's] still lack," Chutinart said.

"This is because most people like to send their children to study at high school and then do an undergraduate degree rather than going to a vocational school because of the frequent news about violence among vocational students. Furthermore, the quality of the new graduates is low, which causes the salary rate to be low too."

In a bid to boost the quality of vocational students, dual training was introduced to provide students with an opportunity to work in aligned businesses.

"The students who pass the training not only have knowledge about the job but also have more of an opportunity to get a [permanent] job," she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Fresh-graduates-hardest-hit-as-joblessness-rises-30260918.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-26

[ezzra]

You can easily triple or quadruple the number of the unemployed, as many doesn't register for jobs,

There is no incentive to register, as in Thailand there is no unemployment benefits paid like in

other western countries, and beside, most of the unemployed are unskilled day/seasonal workers

that has no system in place to monitor their actual numbers and employment's status.....

[davehowden]

Not that much demand for a degree in "looking in the mirror and squeezing your blackheads", surprises surprise!!

[noitom]

The Thai situation is becoming grave and they are not aware of.

[NeverSure]

Yes but there must be a degree in taking selfies.

I agree that the unemployment rate has to be a lot higher than what's reported. Also, getting a degree in using a calculator and then working at 7-11 doesn't say a lot for opportunities.

[kalbo123]

Less then 1% unemployment, totally unbelievable, but if it's true nothing to worry about I would say.

[clockman]

As there is no transparency in any sector of Thailand. These are just numbers! they do not mean anything.

[Strangebrew]

What do you mean don't they give degree's in Scamology, Or Booboomolgy? What's this world coming to? Well good news they need burger flippers at Mickey D's. but have to be top of class with masters degree not masturbaters degree either.

[Suffinator]

Thai degrees = toilet paper; obviously useful for only one thing.

[TerryLH]

"There is no incentive to register, as in Thailand there is no unemployment benefits paid like in

other western countries,..."

The unemployment benefits here are through the Social Security system.

It's for people that have been working and become unemployed, not for new graduates.

Is there a western country that pays new graduates that haven't worked?

[fred Kubasa]

This very problem has existed in several Western countries where highly qualified graduates can't find suitable employment and here,

in the land of " No Fail" policies where few qualify for anything but " Texting", it was/is/will remain forever, the unreachable star ! No

" MY Son Is An Honor Student At XXXX University" bumper stickers here !

[DoctorG]

"There is no incentive to register, as in Thailand there is no unemployment benefits paid like in

other western countries,..."

The unemployment benefits here are through the Social Security system.

It's for people that have been working and become unemployed, not for new graduates.

Is there a western country that pays new graduates that haven't worked?

Australia

[fareastguy]

"There is no incentive to register, as in Thailand there is no unemployment benefits paid like in

other western countries,..."

The unemployment benefits here are through the Social Security system.

It's for people that have been working and become unemployed, not for new graduates.

Is there a western country that pays new graduates that haven't worked?

Yes my home country... England

If your over the age of 16 yrs & unemployed (ie employment seeker)you can apply for social/welfare/unemployment/job-seekers allowance type of benefit according to your circumstances.

Hell they even pay immigrants who go there to do sod all day except knock-out another baby & have never worked or paid a penny in tax!!

Thats why I got out of the place !!

[Srikcir]

Yes but there must be a degree in taking selfies.

I agree that the unemployment rate has to be a lot higher than what's reported. Also, getting a degree in using a calculator and then working at 7-11 doesn't say a lot for opportunities.

Mandatory military conscription covers a lot of young, unskilled men that helps keep "unemployment" down. The military is essentially part of a welfare state.

[Thaddeus]

Less then 1% unemployment, totally unbelievable, but if it's true nothing to worry about I would say.

Anyone who works for one day in a month is counted as being employed.

[Just1Voice]

Less then 1% unemployment, totally unbelievable, but if it's true nothing to worry about I would say.

Anyone who works for one day in a month is counted as being employed.

It's Thai "creative accounting" such a wonderful thing!

[h90]

Not that much demand for a degree in "looking in the mirror and squeezing your blackheads", surprises surprise!!

yeah complete useless degrees.....And the people who have technical degrees are very weak......

[trogers]

Seen many 'Help Wanted' signs. But that would mean an employment where a fresh graduate actually needs to work.

Thus, the first Hurdle.

[kerrysum]

Welcome to the New Global Economy.......

Is everybody happy????? Life goes on as usual....

[Yunla]

On the manipulation of unemployment totals, this has been going on in England since they scrapped the one-size-fits-all Dole system, and many observers have speculated that the change from a basic one-size-fits-all Dole into the smorgasbord of ever-changing temporary unemployment benefits that came after the Dole, was actually just a crafty way to hide the true unemployment total.

Since people fall off the statistics radar when their JSA etc. are stopped because they are no longer classed as legitimately unemployed, and also the totals don't include people who work short-shift agency work with zero job security, have illnesses/disabilities that fall inbetween actually receiving sickness benefits and actually being able to work a full-time job, drifting between temporary jobs which are not real "employment" etc.

Some observers have noted that this may have been the crafty reason for removing the easy-to-chart Dole system, with numbers that were extremely high even during the boom years, and that this newer model of 'invisibly unemployed' may well catch on around the world in this age of simplifying complex pictures into media soundbites based on fairly sketchy statistics.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Yunla

[BlackJack]

Our law office has been trying to get a junior for nearly a year now

Their English is appalling, they don't want to do work, play candy crush, facebook, etc.

go figure

[BernieOnTour]

As there is no transparency in any sector of Thailand. These are just numbers! they do not mean anything.

Correct - the numbers are far too low! Unemployment rate of graduates in the 2-3% range??? It's tenfold that number...

And it's not only for undergraduates, even with a master, they are running into problems. Therefore my best-of-all is currently asking herself, it it's really worth to go through all the that work and exams, if she is anyway ending up with an underpaid job...

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

I've never seen an unemployed female graduate in Thailand. Self-employed comes to mind. I use to hit the foreigner friendly discos more than I do now. But every April there would be a new bumper crop of uni girls on school break invading these disco looking for tuition money. I met many of them and a lot from prestigious universities. I met a young boy attending University outside of Novotel who was working as a black taxi, driving his own Toyota, for tuition money. I asked him about this phenomenon and he politely explain that most the girls in his University make good money during school break. Are they from poor families I asked. He said no. They just want to do this for extra money as their parents would only give a set amount each month for expenses. He explained uni girls prefer foreigner discos for part time work verses popular discos frequent by Thai men. Maybe, after graduating and finding it difficult to find jobs in their fields of study, these girls gravitate to self-empowerment which is not considered when estimating graduate unemployment figures. In this age, sex and gender discrimatory culture men are more likely to get a job verses a woman.

[trogers]

I've never seen an unemployed female graduate in Thailand. Self-employed comes to mind. I use to hit the foreigner friendly discos more than I do now. But every April there would be a new bumper crop of uni girls on school break invading these disco looking for tuition money. I met many of them and a lot from prestigious universities. I met a young boy attending University outside of Novotel who was working as a black taxi, driving his own Toyota, for tuition money. I asked him about this phenomenon and he politely explain that most the girls in his University make good money during school break. Are they from poor families I asked. He said no. They just want to do this for extra money as their parents would only give a set amount each month for expenses. He explained uni girls prefer foreigner discos for part time work verses popular discos frequent by Thai men. Maybe, after graduating and finding it difficult to find jobs in their fields of study, these girls gravitate to self-empowerment which is not considered when estimating graduate unemployment figures. In this age, sex and gender discrimatory culture men are more likely to get a job verses a woman.

Such a vocation has much free time for candy crush and Facebook... Perfect. This would be counted as employed.

[Jenny Adara]

As someone who interviews Thais daily trying to find staff - i can tell you 90% dont give a toss if they get work or not. they are the laziest people ive ever met in my life.
Yesterday i hired a maid - the 8th one now.
I offered her 900 baht for a days work, way above normal rates but i was desperate to find a good one.
She arrived late at 10am, she left at 4.30 pm.
All i asked was that she wash the floors twice and clean only a few rooms.
The place was dirtier than before she came.
I asked why she hadnt cleaned the floor same i wanted? her reply was she couldnt find the light switch?

Just one example of many many many...

Students granted are more excited about their first job, one of my best staff is 22 year old and these days anyone older than 28 i cant be bothered with. they have ego problems or are constantly on the take or have the inability to learn. Ive never in all my life worked with an such an incompetent race of people, and ive worked in mexico before this, its unbelievable here. utterly!

[elgordo38]

Less then 1% unemployment, totally unbelievable, but if it's true nothing to worry about I would say.

Less than 1% unemployment is this another one of those "a pig just flew by my window" comments? I work at improving my g/f's English. After I am gone and even though she is older this will be her strongest asset. I just keep telling her " Make sure the next one is richer than me"

[elgordo38]

This very problem has existed in several Western countries where highly qualified graduates can't find suitable employment and here,

in the land of " No Fail" policies where few qualify for anything but " Texting", it was/is/will remain forever, the unreachable star ! No

" MY Son Is An Honor Student At XXXX University" bumper stickers here !

World wide its the old funnel system. You can get lots of water in the top but it runs into a bottleneck in the middle. Yes the same problem exists in Western cultures but people are working longer few positions are available and higher education is producing more graduates in record numbers and of course we are still in a recession although the politico's would have you believe otherwise. If things were all peaches and cream Yellen would not be sitting on her hands while her mouth keeps telling you everything is just hunky dory. Any interest rate increase will cause panic and she knows it. All the margin players in the stock market will panic and it will tank and she knows that to but lets not give her credit for knowing to much or we would not be in the mess we are in.

[Mr Somtam]

As someone who interviews Thais daily trying to find staff - i can tell you 90% dont give a toss if they get work or not. they are the laziest people ive ever met in my life.

Yesterday i hired a maid - the 8th one now.

I offered her 900 baht for a days work, way above normal rates but i was desperate to find a good one.

She arrived late at 10am, she left at 4.30 pm.

All i asked was that she wash the floors twice and clean only a few rooms.

The place was dirtier than before she came.

I asked why she hadnt cleaned the floor same i wanted? her reply was she couldnt find the light switch?

Just one example of many many many...

Students granted are more excited about their first job, one of my best staff is 22 year old and these days anyone older than 28 i cant be bothered with. they have ego problems or are constantly on the take or have the inability to learn. Ive never in all my life worked with an such an incompetent race of people, and ive worked in mexico before this, its unbelievable here. utterly!

Not all of course but most are naa lak maak but not very chalaat...

[trogers]

As someone who interviews Thais daily trying to find staff - i can tell you 90% dont give a toss if they get work or not. they are the laziest people ive ever met in my life.

Yesterday i hired a maid - the 8th one now.

I offered her 900 baht for a days work, way above normal rates but i was desperate to find a good one.

She arrived late at 10am, she left at 4.30 pm.

All i asked was that she wash the floors twice and clean only a few rooms.

The place was dirtier than before she came.

I asked why she hadnt cleaned the floor same i wanted? her reply was she couldnt find the light switch?

Just one example of many many many...

Students granted are more excited about their first job, one of my best staff is 22 year old and these days anyone older than 28 i cant be bothered with. they have ego problems or are constantly on the take or have the inability to learn. Ive never in all my life worked with an such an incompetent race of people, and ive worked in mexico before this, its unbelievable here. utterly!

It's all those free handouts...

They are probably unemployed because they are unemployable...

Edited May 26, 2015 by trogers

[elgordo38]

Welcome to the New Global Economy.......

Is everybody happy????? Life goes on as usual....

Yes!!! I am happy I am retired but I feel sorry for the grandkids and the great grandkids and frankly their life will be anything but usual.