The cabinet met on Tuesday, Janaury 29, 2013. Some of the decisions are as follows:
The Cabinet approved the draft ministerial regulation respecting the contribution rate for social security fund B.E. …., proposed by Ministry of Labor. The Office of the Council of State of Thailand is to examine and proceed further.
Fact
1. This follows the Cabinet’s resolution (20 November 2012) on relief measures for the impacts of the 2013 minimum wage policy that the contribution rate for the Social Security Fund be reduced as a measure to mitigate employers’ burden of contribution to the Social Security Fund. Reduction of the contribution rate is along the line with the mitigation of employers’ and employees’ burden during the flood crisis in 2011 (1 July — 31 December 2012). The reduction of contribution rate is effective during 1 January - 31 December 2013.
2. The reduction of contribution rate pertinent to this draft ministerial regulation will also affect the insured persons under section 39, resulting in their contribution rate decrease from formerly 432 baht per month to 336 baht per month.
Following the proposal of the Ministry of Transport, the Cabinet agreed with the draft ministerial regulation respecting the features of or the provision of facilities or services in the buildings, vehicles and transportation services for the disabled persons B.E. …., which was already examined by the Office of the Council of State of Thailand. The Ministry of Finance is to review the opinions from the Office of the National Economics and Social Development Board for further procedure.
The Cabinet acknowledged the summary of the labor force survey of October 2012 proposed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (National Statistical Office).
Gist
The National Statistical Office conducted a labor force survey on a monthly basis. The survey is conducted by the random sampling and the sample group is above 15 years old. From all provinces, 27,960 households become the sample group of each month. When compared to October 2011, the unemployment rate of October 2012 increased to 4,000 persons (from 219,000 to 223,000 persons). If compared to September 2012, the unemployment rate decreased by 24,000 persons (from 24,700 to 22,300 persons). Gist of the survey can be summarized as follows:
1. Labor force
There are 39.49 million persons in the labor force, including 39.21 million employed persons, 223,000 unemployed persons and 58,000 persons who are seasonally inactive labor force. In addition, the labor force of October 2012 increased by 670,000 persons from October 2011 (from 38.82 million persons to 39.49 million persons).
2. Employed persons
2.1 There are 39.21 million employed persons, an increasing of 910,000 hundred thousand persons from the same period in 2011 (from 38.30 million persons to 39.21 million persons), or 2.4%. The details of the increasing and decreasing of employed persons in various fields are as follows:
1. Increasing number of employed persons are found in the agricultural sector by 590,000 persons (from 14.28 million persons to 14.87 million persons), construction, 250,000 persons (from 2.31 million persons to 2.56 million persons), manufacturing, 100,000 persons (from 5.62 million persons to 5.72 million persons), accommodation and food services, 100,000 persons (from 2.41 million persons to 2.51 million persons), wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 60,000 persons (from 6.07 million persons to 6.13 million persons) and real estate activities, 60,000 (from 0.08 million persons to 0.14 million persons).
2. Decreasing number of employed persons are found in transportation and storage by 180,000 persons (from 1.10 million persons to 0.92 million persons), other service activities such as health service activities, pets care service and laundry and dry cleaning service, 100,000 persons (from 0.78 million persons to 0.68 million persons) and education, 70,000 persons (from 1.22 million persons to 1.15 million persons).
3. Unemployed persons
3.1 There are 223,000 unemployed persons around the country or 0.6% of total labor force (increased by 4,000 persons when compared to the same period of 2011), including 62,000 ten thousand persons who had never worked and 161,000 persons who had worked before. 79,000 of which are the unemployed persons in manufacturing sector, 47,000 persons in services and trade and 35,000 ten thousand persons in the agricultural sector.
3.2 There are 58,000 unemployed persons with higher level of education, 50,000 persons with upper secondary level, 50,000 persons with primary level, 47,000 persons with lower secondary level and 18,000 persons with illiterate/lower primary level.
3.3 The majority of the unemployed persons are found in the northeast at 72,000 persons, central part 58,000 persons, northern part 49,000 persons, southern part 27,000 persons and Bangkok 17,000 persons. Concerning the unemployment rate, the north was the highest at 0.7%, central area and the northeast 0.6%, the south 0.5% and Bangkok 0.4%.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) Janaury 29, 2013--