Thailand needs to develop labour skills though it has the world's lowest unemployment rate

[wabothai]

The NSC borowed madame TAT's christal ball and returned it yesterday because madame needed it to see some new figures.

However the NSC didn't know how the ball worked and had no other choice than coming up with some "fantastic" figures.

[micmichd]

What's more interesting, from 67.4 million people, only 38.2 are able to work out off 47.3 millions according to wikipedia.

In a country where over 70.9% are able to work, most young people finish school at 15. Lets deduct a million from the middle group, still 46.3 million could be working.

That's 17% unemployed, not 0.85% as the report said.

Est. population 2011 014 years: 19.9% (male 6,779,723/female 6,466,625) 1564 years: 70.9% (male 23,410,091/female 23,913,499) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 2,778,012/female 3,372,203) (2011 est.)

How do housewives and caretakers for children count in these statistics?

Edited July 1, 2015 by micmichd

[oneday]

"...most of the working age population in the country are still under-performed and need to upgrade their skills and competencies, according to the National Statistics Office (NSC)..."

Yep, it's called GOOD education...that's the ticket.

[ChrisY1]

Even the stats are corrupt. Unless sitting around eating somtum and playing cards is working something is wrong here.

Your first sentence is 100% correct.....!

[ozyjon]

Funniest post i've read in a while, without Abbot and Costello

this post fills the void, somehow the words Thailand (water)

and lowest unemployment (oil) just don't mix OH SORRY

this is Thailand, yes the above post completely true,

[digibum]

It's all nonsense and another illustration of this governments wish to be No1 all the time.

I listened to a programme on BBC radio about unemployment in the UK. It seemed generally agreed that 5% unemployment represented 'full' employment on the basis that there was always a constant movement of people between jobs.

The irony of course is that the Thai 'claim' to full employment has exactly the reverse effect on increasing skills and efficiency, let alone pay.

Take this Homepro store mentioned earlier. Loads of people standing around with mobiles doing nothing. I suspect there may be a 'requirement' by someone that stores like this must employ a minimum number of workers. Crazy if it is true.

[Sirbergan]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Three things strikes me with your post. Firstly, you don't speak Isaan. Secondly, you don't live here. If you do, it¨s in a small and very idle village. Thirdly, you have never been to Laos (or you've been there, but then again without knowledge of the language).

Have you ever been able to recognize the language spoken among anyone driving your taxi, serving your food or tending to your every need in Bangkok? Yup, you guessed right if you think they're from Isaan.

[snooker4eva]

More like Thailand needs to get real!!

[Thai at Heart]

What's more interesting, from 67.4 million people, only 38.2 are able to work out off 47.3 millions according to wikipedia.

In a country where over 70.9% are able to work, most young people finish school at 15. Lets deduct a million from the middle group, still 46.3 million could be working.

That's 17% unemployed, not 0.85% as the report said.

Est. population 2011 014 years: 19.9% (male 6,779,723/female 6,466,625) 1564 years: 70.9% (male 23,410,091/female 23,913,499) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 2,778,012/female 3,372,203) (2011 est.)

How do housewives and caretakers for children count in these statistics?

They are classed as employed and are not in the unemployed stats since they are not actively seeking work.

To be unemployed you have to be seeking work.

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Thailand, an active participant in international business, limits it's own people, by the lack of skills and language. Look at the Philippines, where many opportunities to work abroad are available. Now... times have caught up, and exposed a real problem. Also...one might take into account how many jobs have to be filled by expats from other countries.

[leiftheswede]

As always - Thais are the Best (at least when it comes to reading stats).

I did not know that Thailand had an unimplyment agency and much less had any kind of reliable statistic on the topic.

May they should start checking how many people that pay income tax 555.

Wonder if the bargirls and boys are counted in the unemployment static.

[leiftheswede]

It's all nonsense and another illustration of this governments wish to be No1 all the time.

I listened to a programme on BBC radio about unemployment in the UK. It seemed generally agreed that 5% unemployment represented 'full' employment on the basis that there was always a constant movement of people between jobs.

The irony of course is that the Thai 'claim' to full employment has exactly the reverse effect on increasing skills and efficiency, let alone pay.

Take this Homepro store mentioned earlier. Loads of people standing around with mobiles doing nothing. I suspect there may be a 'requirement' by someone that stores like this must employ a minimum number of workers. Crazy if it is true.

It's a sign of good fortune and welth to have many employees.

[JAWF]

Is the rate calculated from the number of registered government oficials ??

[jerojero]

Lowest unemployment because all the dirt paying makeshift jobs. Do the 20,000 apartment buildings in the city really need 24-7 security guards? Are the street vendors full employed? How does the government know who's unemployed when vast majority live a cash life.

[gemguy]

Generally there is not that much unemployment here in Thailand...but of course who knows or who can know the real figures concerning who is gainfully employed verses who is not working and or creating some form of income for themselves and or say family members.

*** Do the figures include older or elderly people who could still be working????...but they are not while they are supported by other family members in some form or way???

One thing that adds to the low unemployment figures is the free enterprise spirit of Thai people and their entrepreneurial enthusiasm as many Thai people start their own businesses or they are self employed in some manner.

Most of it is small personal businesses such as selling anything they think they can make money on while doing it at minimal operating cost.....or illegally........ according to the rules and regulations and laws......but no one or no government entity really cracks down on small businesses operating under the radar...so to speak.

If the government authorities did crack down on such illegal small business enterprises, which exist and flourish all over the country....then you would definitely see a higher rate of unemployment....or people without a means to obtain income.

Within Countries that do thwart the efforts of people to be creative entrepreneurs with all kinds of over bearing Government rules and restrictions and laws that are continually policed and enforced with enthusiasm the general populace over time becomes dependent on large companies and employers that hire people for wages and salaries and or government based employment in its many forms....without other alternatives.

When it is very restrictive and or all too costly to simply set up a small stand selling clothes or say a noodle stand selling some food because there are dozen different government laws and regulations and restrictions including Taxes and licensing etc. etc.....while making it so difficult to create some income for the average citizen who desires to start a small business of some sort..... then the end result is a lot more people without income while eventually becoming dependent on others to survive, including the government resources that become needed to support all those without some form of income.

Cheers

Edited July 2, 2015 by gemguy

[Cake Monster]

Thailand only has the worlds lowest unemployment rate because all the trash recycle people on the streets, the women standing in the hot sun trying to sell a few Bananas for family food, Etc, Etc Etc, are included in the employed figures.

Employment figures should be for registered employee,s only, that are paying their dues.

The rest dont count, as they cannot be classed as " gainfully employed " people.

[Shawn0001]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Been out in the midday sun again?

Yes maybe.... But he is 100% spot on it... wake up to the reality of Thailand..

Glegolo

I wake up everyday in Isaan at 5am when most everyone is at their most active. It makes me laugh listening to the farangs barely making it out of the house before 11am wondering how anything gets done and being supprised that people are sleeping in the middle of the day!

100% you claim, then it's funny how nothing he said applies to my family or actually anyone else I know, around here the men do the hard work and the women stay at home.

[micmichd]

Thailand only has the worlds lowest unemployment rate because all the trash recycle people on the streets, the women standing in the hot sun trying to sell a few Bananas for family food, Etc, Etc Etc, are included in the employed figures.

Employment figures should be for registered employee,s only, that are paying their dues.

The rest dont count, as they cannot be classed as " gainfully employed " people.

You want a police state with a super bureaucracy?

[Shawn0001]

Thailand only has the worlds lowest unemployment rate because all the trash recycle people on the streets, the women standing in the hot sun trying to sell a few Bananas for family food, Etc, Etc Etc, are included in the employed figures.

Employment figures should be for registered employee,s only, that are paying their dues.

The rest dont count, as they cannot be classed as " gainfully employed " people.

As wrong as the figures actually are for unemployment in Thailand, nowhere includes the self employed amongst their unemployed figures.

[Ace of Pop]

I remember a Socialist politician promised jobs for all and lost.his Union supporters preferred the dole.

[nev]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Seems I am assimilating well in Isaan then, I stay home and my wife goes out and works two jobs

[DM07]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Been out in the midday sun again?

Yes maybe.... But he is 100% spot on it... wake up to the reality of Thailand..

Glegolo

I wake up everyday in Isaan at 5am when most everyone is at their most active. It makes me laugh listening to the farangs barely making it out of the house before 11am wondering how anything gets done and being supprised that people are sleeping in the middle of the day!

100% you claim, then it's funny how nothing he said applies to my family or actually anyone else I know, around here the men do the hard work and the women stay at home.

You beat me to it.

I spent some time in a really small village outside of Nong Khai.

The normal work- day started around 4am, then there was a break around 10 or 11 (note: that is 6 or 7 hours of work already!), to escape the heat and then working commenced around 4 pm until 9 or 10 at night (which is another 5 or 6 hours).

Just because YOU don't see someone work, doesn't mean, no one is working!

[Benmart]

As with most statistics, I read and move on. The only figures I pay attention to are those in my bank account and those that are soft, well rounded and mature in both thought and deed.

[KamalaRider]

What's more interesting, from 67.4 million people, only 38.2 are able to work out off 47.3 millions according to wikipedia.

In a country where over 70.9% are able to work, most young people finish school at 15. Lets deduct a million from the middle group, still 46.3 million could be working.

That's 17% unemployed, not 0.85% as the report said.

Est. population 2011 014 years: 19.9% (male 6,779,723/female 6,466,625) 1564 years: 70.9% (male 23,410,091/female 23,913,499) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 2,778,012/female 3,372,203) (2011 est.)

How do housewives and caretakers for children count in these statistics?

They are classed as employed and are not in the unemployed stats since they are not actively seeking work.

To be unemployed you have to be seeking work.

Now this is the problem, in Thailand you don't have any way to collect those numbers from job seekers, as there aren't any way to count them as a mass.

The only way to know how many people aren't working is statistic of population and how many people are being included in the social labour system and deduct from that.

At least, I don't know any other way, someone else knows how the state can get hold of their figures.

[KamalaRider]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Three things strikes me with your post. Firstly, you don't speak Isaan. Secondly, you don't live here. If you do, it¨s in a small and very idle village. Thirdly, you have never been to Laos (or you've been there, but then again without knowledge of the language).

Have you ever been able to recognize the language spoken among anyone driving your taxi, serving your food or tending to your every need in Bangkok? Yup, you guessed right if you think they're from Isaan.

You're right, the people that want to work left Isaan, the rest is happy going around with bird cages on their motorbikes, go to cock fights, play cards and just eat whenever it's convenient, which it is from morning to late evening.

Naw, I'm joking, my experience is that they all work more or less, maybe not the speed you and I would, but they are in fact working, some even VERY hard, much harder than I ever have in my life.

Isaan is mostly farming country so people have to work to put food on the table, no one is doing it for them.

[passiflora]

Just go and look in a Svensen's

12 girlies under 18 for 2 farangs eating an ice cream
Those kids have 9000 thb/month

the great majority of the workers in thailand aren't registred, and work in black

(when they work, because i agree with Ikke)

[Shawn0001]

Up country... or Isaan if that sounds better... the male population is not working at all, laying under a sala, playing petanque , in big groups, mostly the lady goes to work, the man stays home lazy and just doing nothing....

Problem with the numbers is that no one is registered as unemployed.

Three things strikes me with your post. Firstly, you don't speak Isaan. Secondly, you don't live here. If you do, it¨s in a small and very idle village. Thirdly, you have never been to Laos (or you've been there, but then again without knowledge of the language).

Have you ever been able to recognize the language spoken among anyone driving your taxi, serving your food or tending to your every need in Bangkok? Yup, you guessed right if you think they're from Isaan.

You're right, the people that want to work left Isaan, the rest is happy going around with bird cages on their motorbikes, go to cock fights, play cards and just eat whenever it's convenient, which it is from morning to late evening.

Naw, I'm joking, my experience is that they all work more or less, maybe not the speed you and I would, but they are in fact working, some even VERY hard, much harder than I ever have in my life.

Isaan is mostly farming country so people have to work to put food on the table, no one is doing it for them.

"maybe not the speed you and I would"

I have heard many people say that Thais are lazy after watching people work slowly in the sun, the people saying it tend not to have tried it themselves though. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to work at the same speed and intensity as they did in their cold country, it is possible but it's really not a good idea and soon they either slow down or just stop completely and leave the hard work to the "lazy" Thais.

[Thai at Heart]

What's more interesting, from 67.4 million people, only 38.2 are able to work out off 47.3 millions according to wikipedia.

In a country where over 70.9% are able to work, most young people finish school at 15. Lets deduct a million from the middle group, still 46.3 million could be working.

That's 17% unemployed, not 0.85% as the report said.

Est. population 2011 014 years: 19.9% (male 6,779,723/female 6,466,625) 1564 years: 70.9% (male 23,410,091/female 23,913,499) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 2,778,012/female 3,372,203) (2011 est.)

How do housewives and caretakers for children count in these statistics?

They are classed as employed and are not in the unemployed stats since they are not actively seeking work.

To be unemployed you have to be seeking work.

Now this is the problem, in Thailand you don't have any way to collect those numbers from job seekers, as there aren't any way to count them as a mass.

The only way to know how many people aren't working is statistic of population and how many people are being included in the social labour system and deduct from that.

At least, I don't know any other way, someone else knows how the state can get hold of their figures.

In the areas around the industrial complexes people register available for work

[Jonmarleesco]

'... most of the working age population in the country are still under-performed and need to upgrade their skills and competencies ...' That's precisely why Thailand has the lowest unemployment rate. Not because it is exceptionally efficient, but because anything, from blowing whistles at shopping malls to sitting inside a little box at a road junction, playing with buttons and nodding off, counts as employment.

[micmichd]

Sitting on one's fat a*** in a European office all day long counts as employment, too.