Job markets 'still hot in East Asia, Mideast'

The slowdown in Europe will affect manufacturing as consumers in Spain and other troubled economies buy fewer television sets and cars, Simon Matthews, country manager of ManpowerGroup Thailand and Middle East, said yesterday. However, the growth of China, India, Thailand and other emerging economies could offset the drop in exports to the European bloc. 

He said his company was working with clients engaged in manufacturing in Thailand that want to recruit workers. These are not only large firms, but small and medium-sized enterprises in the provinces as well. 

Retailers and banks have expanded into every province, so demand for workers is high, he said. To deal with this, his firm will open more offices upcountry. 

ManpowerGroup also has a request from the Middle East for 1,200 labourers, about 300-400 of whom are expected to be Thais, he said.

Skilled labour in the oil and gas industry is also in demand in the Middle East. 

Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, companies investing in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos want skilled middle managers and executives from Thailand, Matthews said. 

As Thai companies such as Siam Cement, PTT, banks and hotels expand into Asean countries, they also require skilled Thai workers and middle managers, he said.

Currently, the top five job markets for Thai workers are Taiwan, Japan, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea.

Matthews said his company had launched a new service allowing people to apply online for jobs overseas. The firm matches job seekers and employers aboard. ManpowerGroup does not demand any fee from job seekers but gets service fees from clients. Having many offices in many countries is an advantage for the group to deliver better recruitment services than competitors, he claimed.

He said that in the last two years, most Thais who went to work abroad did so through a recruitment agency, 61 per cent in 2010 and 63 per cent in 2011. Last year, most requested work permits for Asian countries, accounting for 67 per cent, followed by Middle Eastern countries at 17.8 per cent. 

The statistics also indicated that the foreign labour markets constantly have a demand for Thai workers, providing them with an opportunity to thrive professionally in the world market, Matthews said.