Varawut urges labor skill upgrades amid low birth rate crisis

Khaosod•Economy•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Minister Varawut Silpa-archa emphasizes the need to increase labor productivity and upgrade skills to combat a shrinking workforce caused by declining birth rates.

•Minister Varawut Silpa-archa participated in a seminar on the low birth rate crisis organized by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
•National Statistical Office data shows Thailand had approximately 38.51 million employed persons in Q2 2025, with 6.39 million in the manufacturing sector.
•Births registered decreased from 736,352 in 2015 to 462,240 in 2024, a drop of approximately 37% over 9 years.
•The Ministry of Industry is promoting the Silver Industry to utilize the potential of the elderly in the economy.

Overview

•Minister Varawut Silpa-archa attended the "Low Quality Low Birth Crisis" academic seminar organized by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
•National Statistical Office data for Q2 2025 indicates manufacturing labor accounts for approximately 16% of the total 38.51 million employed persons in Thailand.
•Registered births in Thailand fell by approximately 37% between 2015 and 2024.
•Minister Varawut Silpa-archa warned that the manufacturing sector, especially SMEs and labor-intensive industries, faces a severe labor shortage that impacts production continuity and costs.
•The Ministry of Industry is prioritizing smart manufacturing and the development of specialists in automation, robotics, and AI to upgrade existing worker skills.
•Minister Varawut Silpa-archa suggested that factories should be flexible workspaces that support families, including adjusting shifts and supporting pregnant women and parents.
•The Ministry of Industry is promoting the Silver Industry to respond to the needs of the elderly and encourage elderly people to remain in the labor market.
•Minister Varawut Silpa-archa stated that since children born today take nearly 20 years to enter the workforce, the focus must shift to increasing the value created by each single worker.

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Key Quotes

Varawut Silpa-archa

"As fewer young workers enter the system, if we do not accelerate the skill upgrades of existing workers, the qualitative labor shortage may become a major constraint in elevating Thai industry to high-value industry."

เมื่อแรงงานรุ่นใหม่เข้าสู่ระบบน้อยลง หากไม่เร่งยกระดับทักษะของแรงงานที่มีอยู่ ปัญหาการขาดแคลนแรงงานเชิงคุณภาพอาจกลายเป็นข้อจำกัดสำคัญต่อการยกระดับอุตสาหกรรมไทยไปสู่อุตสาหกรรมมูลค่าสูง

Key Entities

Person

Varawut Silpa-archa(วราวุธ ศิลปอาชา)ℹ️

Minister of Industry who attended a seminar on the birth rate crisis.

Sophon Saram(โสภณ ซารัมย์)ℹ️

President of the National Assembly and President of the House of Representatives.

Yodchanan Wongswat(ยศชนัน วงศ์สวัสดิ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.

Pattana Prompat(พัฒนา พร้อมพัฒน์)

Minister of Public Health.

Nikorn Somklang(นิกร โสมกลาง)

Minister of Social Development and Human Security.

Suphachai Jiaravanon(ศุภชัย เจียรวนนท์)

Senior Vice President of Charoen Pokphand Group.

Organization

Ministry of Industry(กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม)ℹ️

The government ministry focusing on smart manufacturing and the Silver Industry.

Secretariat of the House of Representatives(สำนักงานเลขาธิการสภาผู้แทนราษฎร)

The organization that organized the academic seminar on the low birth rate crisis.

Charoen Pokphand Group(เครือเจริญโภคภัณฑ์)ℹ️

The organization associated with Senior Vice President Suphachai Jiaravanon.

National Statistical Office(สำนักงานสถิติแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

The agency providing employment and birth registration statistics.