The Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT) has reported that due to labor shortages and changes in work preferences, migrant workers currently play a crucial role in filling jobs, especially in the tourism and service sectors.
ECOT Deputy Chairman Tanit Sorat said migrant workers are increasingly being employed in some sectors as manpower shortages remain an obstacle to accelerating the nation’s recovering economy. He attributed labor shortages to a variety of factors, such as people who returned to their hometowns during the pandemic and have not rejoined the labor market, as well as changes in work preferences for new graduates, who now favor freelance jobs over full-time positions.
Thailand is estimated to face a shortage of around 500,000 skilled and unskilled workers, particularly in the tourism and service sectors.
The deputy chairman added that the ECOT is closely watching political parties’ wage-hike policies for the upcoming general election. He further expressed hope that the new government will understand that any wage increases must be approved by a wage committee comprising employers, employees, and government representatives.
Tanit is advising parties to consider policies that ensure sustainability and long-term growth, rather than focusing on wage increases, which will likely result in the new government raising taxes after spending the budget to meet election promises – a move he said would be damaging for the Thai economy. (NNT)
