Thailand's labour market grows 4.6% in Q1 2026

BANGKOK (ANTARA) - Thailand’s labour market grew 4.6% year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, driven by a recovery in agricultural employment, while non-agricultural jobs continued to expand. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said the country’s labour force rose to 41.2 million in January-March, rebounding from a 0.9% decline in the previous quarter. Agricultural employment increased by 6.2% due to higher demand during harvest season, with the non-agricultural sector growing 4%, led by wholesale and retail trade and transport and storage. ‘The overall unemployment rate stood at 0.94% in Q1 2026, representing approximately 390,000 jobless individuals, up from 0.89% in the same period last year,’ said NESDC Secretary-General Danucha Pichayanan. He added that underemployed individuals, defined as those working less than 24 hours a week, rose by 3% compared to the previous year, driven by increased underemployment in the non-agricultural sector. Looking ahead, he stressed the need to mitigate the impact of Middle East conflicts on the labour sector and worker incomes, which may face pressure amid persistently high living costs.