Thailand’s jobless rate in first quarter hits 12-year high

BANGKOK: Thailand’s unemployment rate hit a 12-year high in the first quarter of 2021 due to the renewed impact of coronavirus outbreaks, as the country reimposed measures to contain a third wave of infections, the state planning agency said on Monday.

The Southeast Asian country’s latest, more severe outbreak has accounted for about 80% of its total Covid-19 cases and deaths.

The unemployment rate was 1.96% in the January-March quarter, representing 758,000 workers without jobs, up from 1.86% in the previous quarter, state agency data showed. That was the highest since the 2.08% recorded in the first quarter of 2009 during the global financial crisis.

“The unemployment rate increased drastically and is expected to rise again, reflecting the ongoing impact of Covid-19,“ Danucha Pichayanan, head of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDB), told a briefing.

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