Thai companies plan to recruit workers

Although hiring activities dropped 37 percent in 2020, according to a survey by recruitment firm Michael Page Thailand, 33 percent of businesses in Thailand now say they will increase their workforce in 2021, while 32 percent plan to maintain their current staffing levels. 

67 percent of employed technology professionals in Thailand anticipate finding new opportunities in 2021, according to the report, while another 31 percent are passively open to new ones, suggesting increased employment activity. 

"Like other markets in the region, Thailand's technology sector stayed afloat and resilient, particularly for e-commerce and other internet-based businesses," said Kristoffer Paludan, regional director of Michael Page Thailand”.

"Food production, too, proved to be a bright spot, which in turn carried other associated industries, such as chemical, agriculture, as well as agri-tech." 
Given the economic demands, industrial/manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods, technology and telecom, healthcare/pharmaceutical, and retail are the sectors earmarked to the greatest amount of recruitment activity. 

"Candidates move jobs primarily due to the dynamic nature of the business, which is constantly adapting to changing market demands and practices. These are agile organizations that provide a steep learning curve and the opportunity for regional mandates in the medium to long term," said Mr. Paludan.

42 percent of companies in Thailand cited their ongoing investment in employees in 2021 by providing training to upskill their employees, while 46% turned to the use of automation for fundamental processes. 

The report says the pandemic has served to speed up digitization adoption. Over the year, firms in Thailand have adapted within short timeframes to digitization demands. Technologies like virtualization and cloud access have allowed many businesses to get as close as possible to 'business as usual.' Some 40 percent of respondents to the study claimed that before applying for a job with it, they carried out extensive research on a company.