1 million unemployed by year’s end, suggests Thai think tank

Thailand Development Research Institute, a Thai think tank, estimates that there will be 1 million unemployed people in Thailand by the end of the year if Covid stays “uncontrollable”.

Yongyuth Chalamwong, an Associate Professor and director of labour development research from the think tank’s human resources and social development department, tells Thai media today that the partial lockdown measures have had far-reaching consequences for businesses and the labour market.

The professor says if the situation continues until the end of the year, 1 million people will have become unemployed which comprises nearly 3% of working-age people.

Yongyuth says to mitigate the situation the government could give people cash subsidies of at least 100 baht a day until the situation gets better.

However, Tanit Sorat, the Vice President of the Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, says say cash assistance is provided by the taxpayer for employees/freelancers in the “Dark Red” provinces for a month are barely any help. It was not clear, regarding Tani’s statement, why financial assistance would be of little help.

Instead, Tanit suggests “long-term measures” to help the unemployed, also short-term employment schemes to assist around 500,000 university students who are about to graduate. It was not reported what either the “long term” or the “shot-term” measures consisted of.

SOURCE: Thai PBS