Host of headwinds threaten employment prospects

The second wave of Covid-19, drought and a labour shortage, particularly of high-tech and digital skill groups are tipped to haunt Thailand’s employment prospects this year.

Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), said the Covid-19 crisis will affect entrepreneurs who have not yet recovered if there is a new phase of outbreak, causing a high risk of downgrading jobs and changing forms of employment.

Some workers, especially those in small enterprises in hotels and restaurants or retail stores, have a greater risk of job displacement. Self-employed workers will experience lower income as private consumption contracts.

“If the virus cannot be controlled, combined with delays in the distribution of vaccines, the impact on the labour market and employment will be severe in the long run,” he said.

According…