Thai graduates form largest group of unemployed, says NSO

Concerning statistics were unveiled by Thailand’s National Statistical Office (NSO) yesterday, revealing that newly minted graduates now comprise the largest segment of the country’s unemployed.

Results from October’s employment survey disclosed that around 150,000 recent graduates were jobless, a worrying trend that Suwannee Wangkarn, NSO’s Deputy Director, labelled alarming.

Every month, the NSO conducts an employment survey among Thai citizens. The most recent data, collected in October, pointed to a total of 341,000 unemployed individuals, among which the new graduates represented the most significant fraction, 0.8% of the total.

Furthermore, the survey found that approximately 212,000 unemployed individuals had never held a job before, reports Bangkok Post.

The survey also assessed the readiness of the Thai population to enter the job market, revealing that out of the 40.37 million individuals prepared to work, 39.95 million had secured some form of employment. Meanwhile, 80,000 individuals were classified as seasonal workers.

Interestingly, the survey found that a significant chunk of the population, precisely 18.64 million individuals, were not part of the workforce.

This group mainly consisted of housewives, students, and individuals who were either ill or elderly.

An encouraging trend observed from the survey was a slight drop in the unemployment rate in October as compared to September, which had recorded 342,000 jobless individuals.

An analysis by region showed that unemployment figures had fallen in the central and northeastern regions but had risen in the northern and southern regions.

The unemployment rate in Bangkok remained steady.

When observed through the lens of gender and age, the survey found men and youths aged between 15 and 24 years old were most affected by unemployment.

Suwannee underscored the urgency of addressing this issue.

“The overall situation did improve in October but the number of jobless among new graduates is alarming.”

In related news, Thailand witnessed a decrease in its unemployment rate during the first quarter, reaching a three-year low of 1.05%, down from 1.15% in the final quarter of 2022, according to the state planning agency’s announcement. Read the full story HERE.