Despite the country's post-Covid economic recovery, which has seen the employment rate returning to the "old normal", over 230,000 recent graduates remain unemployed, raising concerns among students pursuing low-demand degrees.
According to a National Economic and Social Development Council's (NESDC) fourth-quarter report issued on Wednesday, from October to December, the unemployment rate dropped to 1.15%, with half a million people out of work, including more than 230,000 recent graduates.
The unemployment rate fell from 1.23% in July to September, the report said, noting recovery in the tourism industry led to more jobs in hotels, restaurants, wholesale and retail businesses as well as in the transport, storage and manufacturing sectors.
Yet by contrast, social science, management, communication and humanities graduates are at risk of unemployment, according to ECON Thai's 2022 report.
Low demand for people in these fields is a result of the current labour market, which requires more technicians, workers with vocational training and unskilled labourers, the report said.
The Bangkok Post spoke to university students to ask about the labour situation.
Low-demand degrees
News of ECON Thai's findings has raised concerns among some, including Pasakon Pasupan, 22, a fourth-year Ramkhamhaeng University political science student.
"I am really anxious about the job market, which is happening all over the world," he said.
"I do not intend to look for work right away, I am currently considering pursuing a master's degree first to have better job opportunities."
Mr Pasakon added that he has noticed that many in his class have the same plan.
When asked about what the government can do to address the issue, he said the absence of a military overthrow would be sufficient for the economy to progress.
Meanwhile, Kaesinee Charoenphol, a 22-year-old social science student at Thammasat University, said: "I am concerned about job opportunities, but I have a plan to work [outside of my field] for several years before pursuing a master's degree."
She said learning English and digital skills is the most effective way to increase one's chances of being hired.
Regarding government policy, Ms Kaesinee said no policy can fix the job market's problems, calling the issue a "structural problem beyond repair".
While some students are concerned about their future, others, such as Lukso Jiang, 21, a third-year liberal arts student at Thammasat University, who prefer the freelance path, are not.
"I will not work in a field related to my studies, but rather as an abstract artist and freelance," she said, adding she intends to work at art galleries or as an independent artist. "I might take freelance work on translate documents for extra money."
When asked what she wants the government to do about the job situation, Ms Lukso brought up the minimum wage issue. "It should be increased to 25,000 baht [per month]," she said.
TDRI's solution
The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) last year interviewed entrepreneurs and analysing over 500,000 online job postings in a study on the unemployment situation.
It found that English proficiency, digital skills and critical thinking are highly sought in the job market. Meanwhile, soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, creativity and adaptability are also sought after by many companies.
The TDRI recommends that education institutions, particularly public universities, adapt their curricula to the market's needs and publish the incomes of alumni to help students decide their study path.