March 10, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – Labour Minister Paithoon Kaewthong revealed the government had a policy to cope with unemployment problem during the economic slowdown. 6.9 billion baht will be spent to deal with the problem.
Paithoon said that problem solving would become concrete in April.
Short-term vocational training will be offered to new graduates to help them survive the economic crisis. They will initially get the 4,800-baht financial aid per month for three months as well.
17,000 people were laid off during January-February 2009, according to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (ONESDB).
There were approximately 37 billion baht in the Social Security Fund (SSF) at the end of 2008.
ONESDB confirmed that this would be sufficient to pay compensation to cover about one million people.
More women were laid off than men, and they were 21-30 years old, according to a survey.
45.3 percent of them finished their high-school study, and their income was 5,000-15,000 baht per month.
Most of the unemployed workers spent their compensation and savings in their daily life, but they expected this would last not more than three months.
42.5 percent of rural workers wanted to go back to their hometowns.
The unemployed did not get their compensation properly, and 30.8 percent said compensation paying was not in line with the law.
Mental heath problem tended to become worse. In 2008, alcohol and tobacco spending in the household sector dropped whereas theft and drug-related crimes increased.
