unemployment
- Economy News
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.…
- Thailand News
Home is where the heartache is: Thai boyfriend seeks advice on unemployed girlfriend’s extended stay
A young man turned to social media for advice after his unemployed girlfriend moved into his family home, sparking a heated debate among netizens. Taking to a popular Thai web forum, Pantip, the man shared his predicament: His girlfriend had lost her job and moved into his parents’ home, initially for a month while she looked for work. However, more…
- Thailand News
Unemployed man found dead in vehicle amid struggle with depression
A 42 year old unemployed man was found dead in his pickup truck near Rama III Road, Soi 41, Yan Nawa district, Bangkok, reportedly suffering from depression. The initial investigation reveals he has been unemployed for almost a year and had a history of depression. At around 10pm yesterday, local authorities in the Bang Phongpang, Yannawa district received reports of…
- Business News
China’s April economic data falls short amid low demand, high youth unemployment
Official figures have revealed that China’s economic data for April failed to meet expectations, with low demand and high youth unemployment contributing to an uneven recovery after the easing of strict Covid-19 regulations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), retail sales, a crucial gauge of domestic consumer activity, grew by 18.4% year-on-year. However, this fell short of the…
- Business News
Mass lay-offs at Thai AirAsia as aviation sector continues to struggle
Thailand may have re-opened to international travellers, but the aviation sector continues to struggle as a result of the pandemic. Today, the Bangkok Post reports that Thai AirAsia has announced mass redundancies and extended furlough arrangements for many of its staff. Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in TAA, says the outlook for the aviation sector remains unstable and the company…
- Phuket News
Phuket unemployment rates rise, average monthly income drops
With the lack of foreign tourists visiting Phuket, many tourism-dependent businesses have suffered. Officials have reported a spike in unemployment in Phuket and say average monthly income has dropped down to 1,900 baht. Government officials are now discussing potential measures for economic rehabilitation on the island province as well as the so-called “sandbox” travel scheme, which is expected to help…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya hotels want official closure order to get unemployment benefits
Pattaya hotels and tourism businesses want to close… just temporarily until the Covid-19 situation improves, but they say an official closure order needs to be issued by the Chon Buri governor so employees can claim unemployment benefits. The hospitality and tourism industry in the 5 highest risk red zones (the coastal provinces Chonburi, Rayong, Chantaburi, Rayong, Samut Sakhon, and Trat)…
- Thailand News
Thai labour market bounces back despite the pandemic
Despite Covid-19 pandemic’s negative impact on the economy with numerous layoffs and business closures, the Thai labour market survived and is experiencing an unemployment rate that is lower than expected, according to the Deputy Chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, Chalee Loysoong. While the unemployment rate is lower than expected at 2% or 700,000 individuals, Thammasat University associate professor…
- Covid-19 News
Thai PM pledges financial assistance for workers affected by Covid-19 restrictions
“We’ll find the money.” This is the promise from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who’s instructing the Ministry of Finance and other relevant agencies to come up with measures to help workers who have been affected by the Covid-19 resurgence. The PM has pledged economic assistance for those who have lost their jobs, are currently being furloughed, or whose businesses have had…
- Covid-19 News
Government confirms social security net for workers laid off due to virus restrictions
The Thai government has confirmed it will compensate employees forced out of work by Covid-19 restrictions, by paying 50% of their salary for up to 90 days. The country has found itself in the grip of a sudden resurgence in cases, with many provinces under strict restrictions in an attempt to control the spread. Read the latest on closures HERE.…
- Economy News
Covid-19 resurgence, weak labour market, threats to economic recovery – Bank of Thailand
A director at the Bank of Thailand’s economic and policy department says the resurgence in Covid-19, coupled with a fragile labour market, poses a threat to the country’s economic recovery. Chayawadee Chai-Anant says the reintroduction of strict lockdowns in many other countries also poses a risk. She says the full impact will depend on the rate of new infections in…
- Crime News
Domestic violence on the rise amid falling incomes and rising alcohol consumption
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation says the Covid-19 pandemic may be causing a spike in domestic violence, as incomes fall, debt rises, and more people turn to alcohol. The foundation claims incidents of domestic abuse have risen by 66% since March, when Covid restrictions were introduced. The Bangkok Post reports that the biggest rise is in the south of the…
- Economy News
Inequality likely after economic recovery – Bank of Thailand governor
It’s expected to take at least 2 years for Thailand’s economy to recover, but once it does, inequality is likely to become a top concern, according to the Bank of Thailand governor Sethaput Suthiwart-Narueput. “It is expected to take at least two years before the Thai economy returns to its pre-pandemic levels in terms of GDP… Even when the economy…
- World News
Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…
- Economy News
Ministry of Labour, CP Foods to hire 8,000 graduates to help reduce unemployment
To help reduce unemployment and boost the economy after the pandemic, 8,000 graduates will be hired by the company Charoen Pokphand Foods, known as CP Foods. Thailand’s Ministry of Labour recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the company. 4,000 of those jobs will be in Bangkok and metropolitan areas while the other 4,000 more in the upcountry. The job…
- Things To Do
Things that have changed in Thailand in the Covid Era | Top 10 | VIDEO
Top 10 things that have changed in Thailand during the Covid-era Things have changed. In some cases they’ve changed a lot and may never be the same again. Many people are suffering as a result of the impacts of lockdowns and the border closures. Some people are being forced to re-invent their lives as a result. Here are some of…
- Economy News
Business closures up 38%, pandemic ‘scarring’ the economy
“The pandemic is scarring the economy, especially with the business closures and unemployment.” The coronavirus pandemic has led to a spike in business closures in Thailand, increasing nearly 40% since last year, and those numbers are expected to continue to go up. Many of those businesses were in the tourism industry, a sector that has been crippled by the halt…
- Economy News
Government’s economic task force meets to discuss job creation, “Phuket Model”
The government’s Covid-19 economic management team meets today, with a number of stimulus measures expected to be announced. Nation Thailand reports that officials plan to discuss job creation for graduates, along with yet more talks on how to safely welcome international tourists. Deputy PM and Energy Minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, says any measures announced are expected to be short-term. The government…
- Economy News
Labour minister says unemployment less than half of predictions
Thailand’s labour minister told a Friday press briefing that the number of unemployed people in Thailand is around 2 to 3 million, less than half the 7 to 8 million previously predicted. He said that since The National Economic and Social Development Council did the calculation, “it cannot be wrong… as the latter is Thailand’s economic planner”. Given the gravities…
- World News
Trump orders enhanced unemployment benefits, eviction moratorium
US President Donald Trump yesterday signed executive actions, 1 of which provides US$400 a week in enhanced unemployment benefits (25% of which is to be covered by the individual states) after the White House and Democrats were unable to reach an agreement on a coronavirus stimulus relief bill last week. Speaking from his his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey,…
- Economy News
Government to generate thousands of jobs through 3 projects
The Thai government has signed off on 3 new projects with the hopes of creating nearly 40,000 jobs. A budget of 4 billion baht has been set aside for the new projects. The latest development comes following Cabinet approval of 7 economic restoration projects, with a combined budget of 400 billion baht. The first of the 3 new projects will…
- Business News
Prison skill centres proposed to help former inmates find jobs
Finding a job can be difficult for someone who has just been released from prison. The Thai government wants to change that. They plan to build skill development centres for inmates and provide tax breaks for companies hiring ex-convicts. Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin spoke of the skill centre plans at a meeting over the weekend. The proposed centres are part…
- Covid-19 News
Survey shows Thai citizens facing crippling hardship due to Covid-19
A new poll carried out by a team from Bangkok’s Suan Dusit Rajabhat University proves what most already know: Thai people are facing unprecedented financial hardship as a result of the lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 virus. A quarter of respondents say they have fallen into debt. The Bangkok Post reports that people are struggling due to a combination of…
- Covid-19 News
Government urged to investigate forced unemployment claims
A Thai labour rights group is urging the government to investigate whether some employers are abusing labour laws to avoid paying their workers during the Covid-19 crisis. The call was made during an online seminar on unemployment related to the outbreak. Some businesses are allegedly requiring their employees to seek unemployment compensation from the Social Security Fund, when they should…
- Covid-19 News
20,000 expected to apply for unemployment in Chiang Mai
With thousands of businesses shuttered and public spaces closed to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coroavirus, Chiang Mai’s social security office expects some 20,000 laid-off workers to register for unemployment benefits. “People started registering on Tuesday and we’re getting at least 1,000 a day on average. And they’re not just Chiang Mai people, but also from other provinces.” Registration…
- Covid-19 News
Chaing Mai venue owners don’t agree with shutdown plans
On March 15, Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakil says he will ask the Covid-19 outbreak management committee to close all entertainment venues nationwide. Other measures include declaring additional disease areas and banning activities involving mass gatherings to prevent cluster infections involving people drinking together in pubs. The measure has been submitted to the national Covid-19 prevention committee…
- Phuket News
Unemployment rises 34% in Phuket due to virus’s impact
Unemployment on the resort island of Phuket is up 34% year on year due the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, according to the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO). “After Chinese government banned their citizens from travel abroad because of COVID-19, the number of people coming to register as unemployed has been rising quickly. About 80 people come to register…
