Transformation of regional labor markets through AEC progress in Thailand

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18259
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 80010:Area studies-related
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: NIWA Takahito 帝京大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (10736268)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 国際労働力移動 / 地域労働市場 / タイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I revealed the formation of hierarchical regional labor markets by international labor migration, focusing on Thailand as a case study. According to the statistical data for Thailand as a whole, foreign labor participates in specific industrial sectors where labor is short in Thai economy, which transforms its industrial structure. However, the empirical analysis of the fieldwork data shows that there is a disparity in income between Thai workers and foreign workers who are positioned as low-skilled workers. As a result, there is a hierarchical regional labor market. This indicates that economic integration through the AEC has not led to the formation of a sufficient international labor market in Thailand.

Free Research Field

人文地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

国際人口移動が供給する労働力とホスト国の労働力との競合補完関係をマクロ・ミクロの両視点から明らかにしたことに本研究の意義がある。事例としたタイは，AECの進展により大メコン地域における中心的な役割を果たすと目され，過去数十年にわたってCLM諸国の労働者受容を巡る政策的な対応を進めてきたが，地域労働市場は十分に統合されているとはいえない。グローバル経済という巨視的な動きが，個々の地域経済や個々人というミクロな対象に課題を現出する構造を指摘する本研究の視点は，統計資料の分析に加えフィールドワークによって実証的に検討する必要性も示している。