Employment in Thailand
Thailand: Employment was 39,625 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
39,625
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
16th
of 174 countries
All-time high
39,912
in 2023
All-time low
15,402
in 1974
Years of data
49
1971–2025
Employment in Thailand, 1971–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Thailand recorded 39,625 for employment in 2025.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Thailand peaked at 39,912 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15,402, in 1974.
Thailand ranks 16th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Employment in Thailand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 16,605 | — |
| 1972 | 16,058 | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 16,754 | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 15,402 | -8.1% |
| 1975 | 16,176 | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 16,113 | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 18,138 | +12.6% |
| 1978 | 19,215 | +5.9% |
| 1979 | 19,022 | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 22,524 | +18.4% |
| 1981 | 20,874 | -7.3% |
| 1982 | 21,612 | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 22,911 | +6.0% |
| 1984 | 23,804 | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 26,691 | +12.1% |
| 1987 | 27,639 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 29,462 | +6.6% |
| 1989 | 30,614 | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 30,842 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 31,136 | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 32,383 | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 32,150 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 32,093 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 32,573 | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 32,232 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 33,162 | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 32,138 | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 32,087 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 33,001 | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 33,484 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 34,263 | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 34,677 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 34,223 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 38,037 | +11.1% |
| 2011 | 39,317 | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 39,578 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 38,570 | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 38,077 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 38,016 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 37,693 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 37,458 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 37,865 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 37,613 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 37,680 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 37,752 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 39,221 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 39,912 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 39,806 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 39,625 | -0.5% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 39,625 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3,125, 12.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 39,625 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,872, 21.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17,054 | 15,402 | 19,215 | 9 |
| 1980s | 25,126 | 20,874 | 30,614 | 9 |
| 1990s | 32,080 | 30,842 | 33,162 | 10 |
| 2000s | 33,930 | 33,001 | 34,677 | 5 |
| 2010s | 38,223 | 37,458 | 39,578 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38,999 | 37,680 | 39,912 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More work & labour data for Thailand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7165 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7773 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1451 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 45,410 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,963 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,079 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,476 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 45,555 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Thailand?
- Employment in Thailand was 39,625 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 39,912 in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,402 in 1974.
- How does Thailand rank for employment?
- Thailand ranks 16th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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