Jobs data shows an uptick in some sectors in May

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic affecting several sectors and resulting in increasing unemployment, it was found that there are still business sectors, such as IT, retail, financial services, distribution, food and beverage, and others that require labour.
According to jobsDB, hiring in the logistics sector increased by 23 per cent; property development by 13 per cent; advertising, marketing and public relations by 6 per cent; insurance by 5 per cent; and wholesale and retail by 2 per cent. In addition, the job application rate increased by 20 per cent, compared to April, which improved as the situation progressed.
The survey on employment of Thai people in March revealed more than 392,000 people may be without a job (source: the National Statistical Office, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society) as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected several sectors.
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has estimated that 7 million workers will be out of a job by June because of shutdowns, and low-paid workers who earn less than Bt20,000 a month would be the most affected.
In order to continuously stimulate the economy and support the community to move forward, jobsDB has launched a special initiative -- #TogetherAhead. Under this initiative, jobsDB has launched a Covid-19 Resource and Career Hub that features resources for job seekers and employers. It is also allowing entrepreneurs to advertise free of cost jobs that pay a monthly salary below Bt15,000. Currently, there are more than 600 companies participating with over 1,500 job vacancies, and there are more than 30,000 applications received to date. Interested entrepreneurs can take advantage of this offer from June 3 until June 30.
Pornladda Dathratwibul, JobsDB Thailand country manager, said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the effect is undeniable on the economy and almost all businesses, whether they are organisations, entrepreneurs, or jobseekers. However, there are still many types of businesses that require labour to help them overcome the crisis. The jobsDB overview highlights demand for workers throughout Thailand from March to May. Details are as follows:
Five areas of business that still require labour:
1 Information Technology
2 Manufacturing
3 Wholesale/retail
4 Financial services
5 Trading and distribution
Job functions that still require staff include:
1 Sales, customer service and business development
2 Information technology
3 Engineering
4 Marketing/public relations
5 Administration and human resources
The IT sector has the highest employment demand, as many organisations are preparing for the new normal and increased digital behaviour. Meanwhile, manufacturing and distribution businesses are also getting ready to recruit staff as the situation improves.
According to the latest data at the end of May, there has been a positive sign of increase in demand for labour.
“We have seen a relationship of those growth industries with the way people are living their lives like logistics in the growth of online goods delivery and food ordering, insurance due to concerns about health policy and getting coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic, and also retail in the shift towards going digital.”
However, there are five business groups that have seen the most decline in job advertisements due to the effect of Covid-19. They are: tourism/travel agency; hospitality/catering; architecture/building/construction; motor vehicles; building/civil/construction engineering/quantity survey.
Pornladda further said that in terms of the overview of jobseekers, the number of applicants in May increased by 20 per cent compared to April, as affected staff and job seekers have become more confident about the situation.
Considering such growth, it was found that trading and distribution increased by 32 per cent; chemical/plastic/paper/petrochemical increased by 13 per cent; IT (Information Technology) increased by 10 per cent; and food and beverage/catering increased by 2 per cent.
Five job functions that are in high demand by jobseekers are: E-commerce, which increased by 75 per cent; sales, CS and business development up by 3 per cent; accounting, up by 3 per cent; IT up by 3 per cent; and marketing/public relations up by 2 per cent.