Thai government prepares over 120,000 jobs for laid-off workers

BANGKOK, January 9 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Labour, has prepared over 120,000 jobs for local workers who are laid off, after a new minimum wage hike of 300 baht a day has been implemented in all areas across the country since January 1, 2013. Pravit Kiengpol, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Employment told journalists on Wednesday of his department's measure to assist the laid-off workers, promising that his department will match them with suitable jobs and is also ready to arrange for their training so that they will be qualified for available jobs or can be self-employed. Pravit acknowledged that his department is also working together with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare and the Department of Skill Development to send their mobile units to register people who lose their jobs and to report the information to the Social Security Office (SSO) so that the unemployed will receive unemployment compensation. According to Thai Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap, 2,479 workers had been laid off and 5,168 others had voluntarily quitted their jobs during January 2-6, 2013, resulting in the combined number of the workers who had lost their jobs at 7,647 during the period. The 300-baht daily minimum wage increase first began in Bangkok and six peripheral provinces in April 2012, resulting in 243,141 laid-off workers at the end of last year and the SSO having paid about 1.18 billion baht as unemployment compensation for the umemployed who are the members of the Social Security Fund. (TNA)