March 9, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (ONESDB) expected the unemployment rate would remain at 2.5-3.5% this year and the situation would be worst in the second quarter.
The unemployment situation would become worse this year although the employment still grew 2.1 percent.
There were 510,000 unemployed workers in the fourth quarter of 2008. The figures rose 1.3 percent.
ONESDB anticipated that 900,000-1.3 million people of the total workforce would have no job if the economic growth was minus 1-0 percent.
ONESDB is drafting the medium and long-term plans to prepare Thailand to cope with the second round of the global financial crisis which will happen soon.
It is highly possible that Thailand will face severe unemployment problem in April-May when 500,000 more graduates will enter the job market.
Only 10 percent of work will be available to serve the new graduates.
The industrial sector currently has 50 percent of capacity, and this will surely raise the unemployment figures to one million.
It is difficult for new graduates to find jobs. Therefore, some of them may further their study.
