Thailand running out of young and skilled workers

Thailand’s labour force is facing a crisis due to the country’s low birth rate and rapidly ageing population, which has  reduced number of young workers that are available.

Tanit Sorat, vice-chairman of Thailand’s National Labour Development Advisory Council (part of the country’s Labour Ministry), and vice-chairman of the Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, quoted a survey from his ministry that almost half (49%) of Thailand total domestic workforce has an average age of about 40.

This figure is higher than other regional countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Furthermore, 45% of employees are unskilled workers. There are some 400,000 open positions, but few candidates to fill them, says Sorat.

What is required is to meet demand for employees in future, is to overhaul the education system to provide many more graduates in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields, and significantly increase the output from vocational institutes that provide more appropriately skilled workers, which currently is only about 10,000 a year.