Thailand prepares to ease labour shortages

BANGKOK, February 5 (TNA) - Thailand is reviewing labour structure in the country, aimed to find out measures to relieve or solve the problem of labour shortages in some sectors in the future. Yongyuth Chalamwong, a researcher of The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), acknowledged on February 4 the move followed his institute's research on workforce demands and human resources development for the Education Council, which has initially found that the qualifications of 40 per cent of new graduates did not meet demands in the labour market, resulting in labour shortages in some sectors, although there was a high turnover rate of new graduates in the country. As a short term solution, the TDRI researcher suggested that the Thai government find ways to move workers from areas where there are enough labour supplies to those facing shortages. In the long run, the TDRI researcher recommended, the Thai government should adjust its educational policies to meet market demands and to solve the problem of labour shortages. According to the TDRI researcher, the survey also found local business operators' demands for workforces had not changed significantly because Thailand's industrial structures remained the same. The TDRI researcher pointed out, however, that special economic zones being implemented by the Thai government should change the country's labour structure and demands in the future. (TNA)