BANGKOK Feb 21 — As Thailand is now heading towards an elderly society, the Industry Ministry’s Office of Industrial Economics has projected that the country would need about 3.3 million workers for five key industries between 2015 – 2017.
Udom Wongwiwatchai, director-general of Office of Industrial Economics, said a possible of shortage of workers in five principle industries, including food and beverage, garment and textile, electronics, auto and parts, and industrial and machinery, was based on data collected between 2011 – 2012 and assuming that Thailand’s economy would grow 4 per cent between 2015 – 2017.
It is found that demand for workers in those five key industries would be as high as 3.3 million, he said, adding that Thailand would have to depend on employing foreign workers in these industries because the country is embarking on an aged society while unemployment in the country stood at between 0.6 – 0.7 per cent only.
He said in the short-term the country needs to improve workers’ skill before they are employed and support must be given to industrial operators on promoting “talent mobility.”
Workers’ skill must be further improved while operators must be prepared for investment in machinery, research and development, and lay out production and human development strategies over the short- and long-term, said Mr Udom. (MCOT online news)
