BANGKOK, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's labor market grew 4.6 percent year-on-year in the opening quarter of 2026, driven by a recovery in agricultural jobs, while non-farm employment continued to expand, official data showed on Monday.
The Southeast Asian country's labor force increased to 41.2 million individuals in the January-March period, rebounding from a 0.9 percent drop in the previous quarter, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
Employment in the farm sector rose 6.2 percent in line with higher labor demand during the harvest season. Meanwhile, the non-agricultural sectors gained 4 percent, led by the wholesale and retail trade and the transportation and storage sectors, the NESDC said in a statement.
The nation's overall unemployment rate stood at 0.94 percent in the first quarter, representing around 390,000 unemployed individuals, up from 0.89 percent in the same period last year, said NESDC secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan.
The number of quasi-unemployed individuals, who work fewer than 24 hours per week, climbed 3 percent from a year earlier, fueled by a rise in underemployment in the non-agricultural sector, Danucha told a news conference.
Looking forward, he emphasized the need to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict on employment and labor incomes, which may come under pressure amid persistently high living costs. ■