Thailand’s employment growth remained stable in the third quarter of 2024 as jobs in the non-farm sectors expanded despite an ongoing decline in the agricultural sector, reports Xinhua, citing data from the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). The state economic planning agency said the unemployment rate stood at 1.02% in the third quarter, up from 0.99% recorded in the same period last year and representing 410,000 unemployed individuals.

The Southeast Asian country’s labour force slightly dipped 0.1% year-on-year to 40 million in the July-September period as employment in the agricultural sector contracted 3.4%, mainly due to the impacts of flooding. Meanwhile, employment in non-farm sectors expanded by 1.4%, driven by growth in transport and storage services, which recorded a 14% increase, followed by a 6.1% expansion in accommodation and food services.

Under the government’s promotion plans, new investments, mostly in emerging industries, are expected to create around 170,000 jobs for Thai workers.