Thailand’s employment growth weakest in 5 quarters in Q3 as economy slows

BANGKOK : Thailand’s employment in the third quarter rose 1.3 per cent from a year earlier, the state planning agency said on Monday, the slowest rate in five quarters amid a sluggish economy and weak demand for its exports.

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew just 1.5 per cent in the July-September period, the slowest pace this year, due to declining exports and government spending.

The third quarter job growth was mainly in the tourism sector and was less than the 1.7 per cent increase in the previous quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said in a statement.

The exports-oriented manufacturing production saw a decrease in employment in the third quarter, it said.

Thailand’s jobless rate was at 0.99 per cent in the July-September period versus 1.06 per cent in April-June, it said.

Thailand’s definition of unemployment is narrow, however, and…