BANGKOK, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin on Friday said in a press briefing that the total number of unemployed people in Thailand was at around 2 to 3 million, instead of 7 to 8 million previously predicted.
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) did the calculation, it cannot be wrong, as the latter is Thailand's economic planner, said Suchart.
The labour minister said that the COVID-19 pandemic had created fear amongst the Thai workforce and businesses.
"I will myself will monitor the situation of unemployment among new graduates," said the minister, adding that job seeking during the pandemic will be disheartening for freshly graduates.
"What I will do is to set up a national labour center in my ministry," said Suchart, " the center will unemployment by matching unemployed workers with industrial firms."
He also said he will encourage businesses in industrial and farming sectors to take on Thai workers rather than migrant workers where possible.
The center will also arrange re-skilling and up-skilling of workers in factories and combat human trafficking in the fishery sector. Enditem
