Thai industrial sector to face shortage of 300,000 workers in five years

BANGKOK, 21 July 2015 (NNT) – Thai industries will be short of some 300,000 workers in manufacturing positions within the next five years, according to a survey of businesses by the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE).

According to OIE director Udom Wongviwatchai, industries expected to experience the most severe shortages are the metal products industry, the garments industry, and the food and drinks industry.

Although the industrial sector is short of workers, unemployment in general has been increasing because of students preferring to study at the bachelor's degree level instead of undertaking diploma courses at vocational institutes.

As the highest demand of the industrial sector is for vocational graduates, they are experiencing the lowest unemployment rate, whereas unemployment among new university graduates has been increasing markedly. The services sector has also been luring workers away from the industrial sector by its higher pay.

Long-term solutions include improvement of workers' efficiency and increased use of machines and automated systems within the industrial sector, said Mr. Udom. He added that the industrial sector has been making investments in machinery and new technologies as it copes with competition, cost-cutting and manufacturing of higher-value products.

The results from these changes to the manufacturing structure are expected to be concretely seen over the next three years.

-- NNT 2015-07-21

Whoever comes up with these predictions......soothsayers in the local mall??

It's difficult to see that in 5 years there will be a labour shortage.....many foriegn industries and plants will likely have moved by then.......more so if general elections are not held and an elected government is in the chair.

The fishing industry will have almost collapsed and especially so if the EU and US impose bans.......

Thailand has to start planning properly to ensure it's well being.............

Says it all. They don't want graduates, they want labourers.

Make an offer to 2 mio motorbike taxi jockeys.

Plenty of them sitting around doing nothing here....except drinking.

I was willing to invest in this village a few years back, to help them better themselves....Glad I didnt...You cant help people that wont even try.

Whoever comes up with these predictions......soothsayers in the local mall??

It's difficult to see that in 5 years there will be a labour shortage.....many foriegn industries and plants will likely have moved by then.......more so if general elections are not held and an elected government is in the chair.

The fishing industry will have almost collapsed and especially so if the EU and US impose bans.......

Thailand has to start planning properly to ensure it's well being.............

There should be lots of low paid labor available from the surrounding countries. Most have been by passed over by the American TPP trade deal. Vietnam the big beneficiary and Mayalasia I think are the only two local countries to benefit from the deal. Off course there could be a lot of companies exiting Thailand we will have to wait and see.

Whoever comes up with these predictions......soothsayers in the local mall??

It's difficult to see that in 5 years there will be a labour shortage.....many foriegn industries and plants will likely have moved by then.......more so if general elections are not held and an elected government is in the chair.

The fishing industry will have almost collapsed and especially so if the EU and US impose bans.......

Thailand has to start planning properly to ensure it's well being.............

Yep, I agree. However being the most incompetent country in SEA it won't change. They will rely on more suppression of freedoms ala surveillance software and bogus charges. The worst isn't even yet to come, wait until someone dies and his replacement is unpopular.

It's good the west can pinch this loaf and China wants it. Bans will come beyond the FAA and seafood, once they get sanctions the shit will hit the fan. Grovel more to China like the homeless on a street corner.

my god, the exact amount of farmers that could stop useless farming and go work in factories

PM, make em work

With neighboring nations offering increases wages, still not equal to Thailand but considering "Special" fees, transportation and no abuse, foreign workers may well choose to stay home . Plus a few here may take the same route.