EMPLOYMENT / Immigrants most susceptible to layoffs in face of slump
Written by Writer on Monday, November 10th, 2008
EMPLOYMENT / Immigrants most susceptible to layoffs in face of slump
POST REPORTERS
Immigrant workers are at highest risk of being unemployed at a time of economic instability as they are likely to be released first by struggling businesses, according to Pornsilp Patcharintanakul, deputy secretary-general of the Board of Trade of Thailand.
The global economic turmoil has raised worries among industries about their future business operations, with some executives predicting that as many as one million people becoming unemployed next year.
Mr Pornsilp said Thai industries would generally look after Thai workers, so in cases where layoffs were unavoidable, foreign workers were likely to be the first to go, as many were working in the country illegally.
He believed if immigrant workers in the fishery and construction industries were laid off, there was potential for social problems and even higher crime as only a small percentage might go back homes in neighbouring countries, mainly Burma, Laos and Cambodia.
It is estimated that more than one million immigrant workers are currently working in Thailand but official records show only 500,000. The government in November 2007 extended by another two years the work permits for immigrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia whose permits expired in 2007.
The government has been alert to the possible sharp rise in unemployment and tried to cushion the impact for Thai employees, but no organisation has considered how to manage unemployed immigrant workers.
Mr Pornsilp said no one knew the exact number of immigrant workers so it was impossible to estimate how many of them could be out of jobs.
”In the case of Thai workers, they can go back to their hometowns and work in the farm sector if they have been laid off. Most immigrant workers don’t want to go home. If there is no job for them, there may be social problems,” he said.
He also suggested the government to provide financial support to encourage the estimated 700,000 university students who graduate next year to stay in school until the economic situation has improved. ”If those students can continue their studies for higher education, they will not face a struggling economy. [Remaining in school] also prevents them from competing for jobs with the current workforce, resulting in no additional unemployment,” he added.
Bangkok Post
Monday November 10, 2008
