The paper analyzes labor force transformation over 1990-2008 in terms of changes in
population, education, labor force structure, wages and working hours. Labor force
has grown more rapidly than population; as a result, Thailand has benefited from
demographic dividend until 2050. Thailand has become a more educated society as
share of workers with education secondary or higher went up from 17 percent in 1990
to 25 percent in 2008. Workers changed status from unpaid family workers to private
employees, changed industry from agriculture into manufacturing and service sectors,
and changed occupation from blue-collar to white-collar occupation. Average wage
rate in Thailand increased at the slower rate than GDP; the white-collar workers
benefited more than non-agricultural blue-collar workers over 1990-2008.
Agricultural and fishery workers, mostly in the own account worker status, in the
agriculture industry experienced the largest drop in working hours, while
professionals in the manufacturing industry have shown an increase in working hours.