Thai govt agencies far from meeting disabled employment mandate

The 2007 Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Act requires government agencies to fulfill the 100:1 quota, but data for 2022 shows that only 19% of the required target has been met.

According to the Cabinet’s resolution, government agencies with more than 100 employees must promptly employ the required ratio of disabled persons within this year.

Statistics show a continuous decline in the employment of disabled persons over the past five years as follows:

• 2018: 10,594 (84.74%) of the required 12,500 disabled persons were employed

• 2019: 6,257 (43.98%) of the 14,226 target was met

• 2020: 3,911 (25.37%) of the 15,412 target was met

• 2021: 3,582 (20.33%) of the 17,622 target was met

• 2022: 3,488 (19.90%) of the 17,506 target was met.

Analysis shows that only three ministries have met the required ratio. They are:

• Social Development and Human Security Ministry: 119 disabled persons employed, beyond the required 97

• Transport Ministry: 281 employed, exceeding the required 260

• Labour Ministry: 179 employed, far more than the required 135

In comparison, five government agencies that employed the fewest disabled persons are:

• Education Ministry: 66 of the required 4,461 persons

• Public Health Ministry: 510 of the required 2,692 persons

• Royal Thai Police: 41 of the required 2,146

• Other state agencies: 393 of the 2,073 required

• Local administrative organisations: 104 of the required 1,382.