Occupational prospects of Lao industrial workers who returned from Thailand to Lao PDR : a case study of Savannakhet Province

Abstract

After it had introduced "New economic Mechanisms" in 1986, the government of Laos attempted to improve the Lao economy. In 2002 FDI shubstantially flowed to Savannakhet province, but the main problem facing this province was the shortage of both skilled and unskilled labour. Therefore, this study is aimed to examine the factors influencing the Lao migrant workers’ decision to return home, as well as to identify opportunities and problems of Lao returnee migrant workers in finding jobs in Lao PDR. The study also proposes to examine the working conditions of the returnee migrant workers who have found new jobs in Savannakhet province in Lao PDR. This study relied on both quantitative and qualitative methods. It surveyed 100 returnees and I engaged in in-depth interviews with 51 of these people, who used to work in factories in Thailand. I also conducted one focus-group discussion in four villages, with diversity of both local villagers and returnees. The study identified the factors accounting for the return of Lao migrant workers in Thailand. The findings contradict the hypothesis of this study because the reasons for the return were mainly related to personal factors as well as social conditions in the destination country. They did not have in mind economic growth Savannakhet; this mainly was due to the difficulty in assessing information on employment opportunities. Furthermore, the study found that the returnees are currently satisfied with their life conditions because they have succeeded in finding money to build their houses, and they are also satisfied with the working condition in agriculture. The study has confirmed that the returnees in the industrial sector in Thailand are skilled labour, but they have problems in find jobs in their hometown because the employment opportunities are still limited in Savannakhet province.