30 firms not paying workers on time

Nine large companies will soon go to the wall and shed 9,000 workers, the Labour Protection and Welfare Department says.

It adds that workers employed by as many as 30 troubled companies are not receiving pay on time.

However, on the plus side, department chief Arthit Issamo adds that many factories in Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Ayutthaya, Chaiyaphum and Krabi are hiring hundreds of new workers.

The national workforce stands at 35.79 million. That's 870,000 more than last year.

140,000 new jobs

New jobs include 140,000 in the farming and agricultural sectors.

Employment Department chief Phairoj Suksamrit says 42,581 new positions were created in the industrial sector - or 18 per cent fewer than last year.

There are 11,512 new positions in wholesale and retail and auto repair and 3,754 new jobs in hotel and service sectors.

Phairoj says 52,205 sought work through the department, down 13 per cent on 2007. Of these, 18,684, or 35.8 per cent, have been successful.

He tells the unemployed and new graduates not to be picky about jobs they take.