The Thai Labour Solidarity Confederation organises International Workers' Day activities at Democracy Monument on May 1, 2026. Nutthawat Wichieanbut
Thailand's unemployment rate remains relatively low, but the labour market is showing signs of weakening, says SCB Economic Intelligence Center (EIC), the research arm of Siam Commercial Bank.According to Yunyong Thaicharoen, chief economist at EIC, the unemployment rate was 0.94% of the workforce in the first half of 2026, edging up from 0.90% year-on-year.
While the headline figure remains low, there are evident signs of labour market fragility across several dimensions, he said.
The number of unemployed persons increased by about 35,000, or 9.8% year-on-year, to 397,000 in the first half of this year, according to EIC's analysis of data from the National Statistical Office and the Department of Business Development.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among Section 33 social security contributors, who are formal employees in registered establishments, increased from 2.07% to 2.37%, far outpacing the increase in the overall unemployment rate.
