Summary of the labor force survey in Thailand : April 2015
Table 1 Comparison of population aged 15 years and over
by labor force status
Unit : million
Labor force status
Persons over 15 years
1. Total labor force
1.1 employed
1.2 unemployed
1.3 seasonally
2. Not in labor force
Mar
2014
Apr
May
Mar
2015
Apr
54.72
38.61
37.90
0.34
0.37
16.11
54.76
38.03
37.33
0.35
0.35
16.73
54.79
38.37
37.76
0.36
0.25
16.42
55.12
38.37
37.62
0.38
0.37
16.75
55.16
38.28
37.53
0.32
0.43
16.88
Table 2 Comparison of number of employed persons by industry
Unit : Million
Industry
Total
1. Agricultural
- Agriculture, forestry and
fishing
2. Non-Agricultural
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Wholesale and retail trade;
repair of motor vehicles and
motorcycles
- Transportation and storage
- Accommodation and food
service activities
- Financial and insurance
activities
- Real estate activities
- Public administration defence
and compulsory social security
- Education
- Human health and social
work activities
- Other service activities
- Others
Mar
2014
Apr
May
Mar
2015
Apr
37.90
12.11
37.33
11.04
37.76
12.30
37.62
11.63
37.53
10.61
12.11
11.04
12.30
11.63
10.61
25.79
6.59
2.65
6.15
26.29
6.41
2.62
6.51
25.46
6.49
2.28
6.25
25.99
6.60
2.52
6.14
26.92
6.81
2.56
6.48
1.24
2.54
1.17
2.68
1.11
2.62
1.16
2.64
1.26
2.78
0.46
0.63
0.52
0.51
0.55
0.19
1.55
0.14
1.54
0.16
1.63
0.16
1.52
0.18
1.62
1.12
0.66
1.23
0.65
1.10
0.75
1.22
0.66
1.11
0.72
0.71
1.93
0.72
1.99
0.68
1.87
0.78
2.08
0.71
2.14
Figure A Comparison of number and rate of
underemployment in 2014 and 2015
Unit : hundred thousand
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
Number 2014
Rate 2014
Rate
Number 2015
Rate 2015
2.0
2.99
1.5
2.65
2.63
2.39
2.37
2.23
2.11 2.09 2.06
1.96
2.00
1.891.79
1.82 1.92
1.0
1.70
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.6 0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.4
0.00
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Remark : Underemployment worker is a worker who working less than 35 hours
per week and available for additional work.
]
The results of Labor Force Survey in April 2015
showed that there are population, aged 15 years and
over, of about 55.16 million persons. Of these 38.28
million were in the labor force or available for work
(37.53 million were employed, 0.32 million were
unemployed and 0.43 million were seasonally inactive
labor force), while 16.88 million were not in the labor
force or not available for work, such as housewives,
students or elderly.
There were 37.53 million employed persons,
which 10.61 million and 26.92 million were in
agriculture and non-agriculture sectors, respectively.
Comparing with April in 2014, it was shown that the
number of emplotyed persons in agriculture sector
decreased by 0.43 million, but non-agriculture sector
increased by 0.63 million. This increment was found in
various industries e.g, 0.40 million in manufacturing,
0.10 million in accommodation and food service
activities, 90 thousand in transportation and stouage, 80
thousand in pubic administration defence and compulsory
social security, 70 thousand in human health and social
work activities and 40 thousand in real estate activities.
However, a decrease in some other industries was
found e.g., 0.12 million in education, 80 thousand in
financial and insurance activities, 60 thousand in
construction, 30 thousand in wholesale and retail trade
repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 10 thousand
in other service activities and the rest shared in the
other industries.
Considering the number of underemployed
workers and available for additional work, there were
0.19 million or 0.5% of the total employed persons.
2
Figure B Comparison of number and underemployment rate
by sex in 2014-2015
Unit : hundred thousand persons
2.00
1.61
Number female
Rate male
Rate female
1.5
1.90
1.47
1.47
1.36
1.24
1.26
1.23
1.23
0.9
1.20
1.18
1.09 1.16
0.8 1.13
1.07 1.00
1.04 0.87
1.00
0.7
0.7
0.88
0.73
0.7
0.7
0.83
0.6 0.89
0.6 0.6 0.6
0.71
0.6
0.6 0.76 0.6 0.70 0.93 0.6
0.75
0.5
0.69
0.5
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.6 0.58
0.5
0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4
0.4 0.5 0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.3
1.37
1.27
1.00
Rate
Number male
0.00
1.0
Considered underemployment rate by sex, it
was shown that the overall underemployment rate
of male was higher than female.
In April 2015, underemployment rate of male
(0.6%) and female (0.4%).
0.5
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
2014
2015
Figure C Comparison of number and rate of
unemployment in 2014 and 2015
Rate
Unit : hundred thousand persons
5.00
4.00
4.48
4.04
3.61 3.31 3.413.783.44 3.62
3.24
1.00
3.79
3.16
3.00
2.00
Number 2014
Rate 2014
1.1
0.9
0.9 1.0
0.8
3.11
2.87
0.9 0.9
0.9 0.9
1.1
3.0
Number 2015
Rate 2015
2.5
2.0
2.89
1.5
2.10 2.20
1.0
0.7
0.8
0.8
1.0
0.6
0.6
0.00
0.5
0.0
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Figure D Comparison of unemployment rate by sex in 2014 - 2015
Rate
1.40
0.80
male
1.2
1.1
1.20
1.00
In April 2015, the total number of unemployed
persons were 0.32 million or 0.9% of the total labor
force and decrease of 20 thousand (from 0.34 million
to 0.32 million) comparing to the same period as in
2014. And, it showed an decrease of 54 thousand (from
0.38 million to 0.32 million) in March 2015.
1.0
1.0
0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9
0.8
1.0 1.0
female
0.9
0.8 0.8 0.8
0.7
0.9 0.9
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.6
0.60
1.2
1.1
1.0 1.0
0.4
0.40
0.20
0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
2014
2015
Comparing to the unemployment rate by sex in
April 2015, it was found that, unemployment rate of
male was higher than female (0.9% and 0.8%
respectively).
3
Out of 0.32 million, there were 0.15 million
having never worked (70 thousand were male and 81
thousand were female) and 0.17 million had ever,
among these, the number of unemployed persons who
ever worked increased by 1 thousand (from 0.172
million to 0.173 million), comparing to the same
period as in 2014. It was found that 0.17 million
distributed in 3 sectors i.e. 82 thousand in services
and trade, 72 thousand in manufacturing and 19
thousand in agriculture.
Figure E Number of unemployed by experience of work
in April 2015
Agriculture
19 thousand
female
81 thousand
male
70 thousand
ever worked
never worked 173 thousand
151 thousand
manufacturing
72 thousand
Service and Trade
82 thousand
Figure F Comparing of unemployment rate by age group in
2014 and 2015
Percent
7.5
Youth(15-24)years
Adoult(25years and over)
5.0
Regarding the unemployment rates by age groups,
there were 4.2% in a youth group (aged 15-24 years)
and 0.4% in adults group (age 25 years and over).
The unemployment rate in the youth group
decreased from 4.4% to 4.2% comparing to the same
period as in 2014, and decreased from 4.9% to 4.2%
comparing to March in 2015.
2.5
0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.4
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
0.0
2014
2015
Figure G Comparing of number and rate of unemployment by
level educational attainment in April 2014 and 2015
Education level
1.39 (1.7)
1.50 (1.8)
Higher level
Upper
secondary
0.49 (0.8)
0.72 (1.2)
Lower
secondary
0.71 (1.2)
0.59 (1.0)
2015
2014
0.54 (0.6)
0.40 (0.5)
Elementary
None/less than
elementary
0.00
0.11 (0.1)
0.23 (0.2)
0.50
Number(00,000), Percent
1.00
1.50
2.00
For level of educational attainment of unemployed
persons in April 2015, it was found that most of them
had higher level (139 thousand or 1.7%), followed by
those with lower secondary level (71 thousand or
1.2%), primary level (54 thousand or 0.6%), upper
secondary level (49 thousand or 0.8%) and illiterate and
less than primary level (11 thousand or 0.1%).
Comparing to the same period in 2014, the result
showed that the number of unemployed persons with
elementary level increased of 14 thousand, lower
secondary level of 12 thousand. However, those with
upper secondary level decreased of 23 thousand,
illiterate and less than primary level of 12 thousand
and higher level of 11 thousand.
4
Figure H Comparing of number of unemployed and
unemployment rate by region in April 2014 and 2015
a 2014 and 2015
Region
2015
2014
0.56 (1.1)
0.64 (1.3)
South
0.99 (1.0)
0.65 (0.7)
0.51 (0.8)
0.43 (0.7)
0.74 (0.6)
1.19 (1.0)
Northeast
North
Central
0.44 (0.8)
0.53 (1.0)
Bangkok
0.0
0.5
Number(00,000), Percent
1.0
1.5
2.0
Concerning the number of unemployed and the
unemployment rate by region, it was found that those
in the Northeast was the highest with (99 thousand or
1.0%), followed by the Central (74 thousand or 0.6%),
the South (56 thousand or 1.1%), the North (51
thousand or 0.8%) and Bangkok (44 thousand or 0.8%).
Comparing to the same period as in 2014, the
number of unemployment persons of the whole
kingdom decreased from 0.34 million to 0.32 million.
Concerning by region, it decrease in the Central,
Bangkok and the South. However, it increases in the
Northeast and the North.