JobThai reports 10.8% surge in labour demand

JobThai, a leading online recruitment firm, reported a 10.8% year-on-year increase in labour demand for the first three quarters of this year.

The travel sector experienced the most significant rise in job recruitment, showing the strongest rebound post-pandemic.

The company declared 1.74 million positions from January to September, marking a 10.8% increment compared to the same period last year, according to the chief operating officer and co-founder of JobThai, Sangduan Tangthamsatid.

The travel industry led the way in employment, recording a 76% growth, with the hotel sector following closely with a 39% increase. Both sectors are recovering from the pandemic’s impact, which led to mass layoffs. The energy sector also reported significant growth, matching the hotel sector’s 39% increase.

The food and beverage sector sought the highest number of staff, with 167,261 positions, trailed by retail with 137,421, automotive with 119,609, construction and construction materials with 108,491, and services with 106,143.

In terms of job roles, sales jobs were most in demand at 21.4%, followed by technician jobs at 9.37%, production/quality control jobs at 7.09%, administrative/procurement jobs at 6.26%, and engineering jobs at 5.87%. These figures were based on cumulative monthly job openings for applications.

JobThai survey insights

The positions that received the most applications were production/quality control jobs at 16.0%, administrative/procurement jobs at 14.1%, engineering jobs at 11.0%, technician jobs at 9.20%, and sales jobs at 8.54%.

The survey also highlighted the categories with the highest competition. Human resources topped the list with 5.8 applicants per position, followed by science and import/export both with 5.5 applicants per position, procurement/administration/coordination with four applicants per position, and environmental/safety with 3.8 applicants per position.

The study revealed the top three skills sought by employers. Language skills, primarily Mandarin, followed by English and Japanese, were highly valued. Employers also showed interest in familiarity with computer languages and up-to-date programming tools. Familiarity with software and productivity tools, including system applications and products, enterprise resource planning, and TikTok, was also in demand.

Among JobThai users, individuals aged 25 to 34 constituted 30%, those aged 45 and older amounted to 25%, the age 35 to 44 group totalled 23%, and those aged 18 to 24 made up 21%.

As for the level of education, nearly 70% of users held a bachelor’s degree, followed by 14% with vocational training and 4% with a master’s degree, reported Bangkok Post.