Thailand ranks 24th globally for talent competitiveness according to Hays Global Talent Tracker

Thailand, 28 Ocotober 2025 - New research released by Hays, the global leader in specialist recruitment and workforce solutions, reveals how Thailand’s position in the global talent landscape is being shaped by a range of workforce and labour market factors. The report, which compares labour market performance across 35 locations, highlights both opportunities and risks in attracting, developing, and retaining skilled talent—offering valuable insights for business leaders and policymakers. 
 

 

Thailand’s global standing: strengths and challenges

  • Thailand ranks 24th out of 35 in global talent competitiveness, a measure of how effectively a market attracts, develops, and retains skilled workers. Within Asia, Thailand outranks India (35th) but falls behind Hong Kong SAR (14th), Malaysia (11th), Singapore (4th), China (2nd) and Japan (1st). 

  • The research shows that Thailand ranks 2nd in talent market flexibility (a measure of how easily the labour market can adapt to changing business needs) and 5th in talent value (a measure of how investment in people delivers returns) among the 35 markets assessed. 

  • Thailand (26th) is behind on talent participation—Japan (1st), Singapore (9th), Hong Kong (21st) and China (25th) all rank higher on workforce engagement and resilience. 

  • Thailand (34th) was also outperformed on talent development by Singapore (13th), Japan (18th), Hong Kong (25th), China (29th) and Malaysia (31st). This is in large part because those markets invest more in education and skills investment. 

“Hays’ findings show how the global landscape for talent is evolving at unprecedented speed, with countries investing strategically to build more innovative, resilient and future-ready workforces amid increasing economic uncertainty,” said Dirk Hahn, Chief Executive Officer of Hays. 

“As organisations navigate this complexity, the ability to identify and harness the right talent ecosystems will become a defining factor for long-term success.” 

“The findings reinforce there are many contributing factors to a strong workforce, and each market can and should consider that combination differently, but by understanding these trends, businesses can make smarter decisions about where to invest, grow and compete on the world stage.” 

 

Headwinds to future Thailand growth

Hays’ research highlights a range of factors shaping the future of Thailand. When reviewing the Compound Annual Growth Rate of Gross Value Added (GVA CAGR) of local domestic sectors, banking, financial services and insurance, services and construction were identified as the fastest growing industries by 2030. 

Notably, Thailand ranks fifth in the Talent Value pillar and second in Talent Market Flexibility, making it one of Southeast Asia’s most cost-effective and agile labour markets. "Thailand maintains relatively low wage levels compared to other Southeast Asian nations," said Yoke Pei Ong, Regional Director for Hays Thailand. "This coupled with a high prevalence of part-time and temporary work, offer employers the ability to scale quickly - particularly in manufacturing, business process outsourcing and regional service hubs" 

While there are clear strengths, the data also points to areas where targeted action is needed to remain competitive in attracting global talent and investment. Access to skills development is uneven and inconsistent labour protections may limit readiness for knowledge-intensive roles. 

“These factors pose challenges for organisations aiming to build capability, not just capacity,” said Yoke Pei. 

“For businesses seeking scalable talent in Southeast Asia, Thailand offers a compelling value proposition. Sustained strategic advantage will hinge on further investment in upskilling, labour formalisation and productivity-enhancing technologies.” 

The Hays Global Talent Tracker was developed in partnership with Oxford Economics in early 2025, analysing labour market data across 35 locations. The research benchmarks national workforces using a composite index built from five pillars – talent value, participation, development, flexibility, and innovation – drawing on a wide range of economic, demographic, and skills-based indicators. Read the full report here - Hays Global Talent Tracker. 

 

 

Contact 

Sonel Singh, Head of Marketing, Southeast Asia, Hays 
T: +60 3 7890 6351 
E: sonel.singh@hays.com.my 

 

About Hays Thailand

Hays Recruitment (Thailand) Ltd. ("Hays Thailand") is a market leading specialist recruitment company in Thailand in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. Hays has been in Thailand since 2022 with an office located in Bangkok.

At Hays Thailand, we specialise in mid to senior level recruitment services across the finance and commerce industries. Operating across the private and public sectors, we deal in permanent positions in the following specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Engineering, Human Resources, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Sales. We continue to strengthen our position in Asia with the world-leading ISO 9001:2015 certification in all our operational markets including Thailand, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

 

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in recruitment and workforce solutions, such as Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Managed Service Provider (MSP). The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany, and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As of 31 December 2024, the Group employed over 10,300 staff operating from 225 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2024: 

  • the Group reported net fees of £1,113.6 million and operating profit of £105.1 million. 

  • the Group placed around 57,700 candidates into permanent jobs and around 225,000 people into temporary roles. 

  • 13% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 32% in Germany, 20% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 35% in Rest of World (RoW). 

  • the temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees. 

  • Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 25% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (11%), are the next largest. 

  • Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK, and the USA.