Returning migrant workers need job support amid border conflict

Preah Sihanouk Provincial Television, September 7 — Escalating border conflict forced hundreds of thousands of Cambodian workers in Thailand to return home. A Labour Ministry spokesperson said more than 210,000 returnees had found formal employment in enterprises, factories and institutions. Tens to hundreds of thousands more were working informally in construction, handicrafts, commerce and agriculture. The ministry said around 95,182 vacancies remained across all 25 provincial-level areas, including the capital, spanning agriculture, industry and services. Returnees could call 1297 or contact local authorities and relevant agencies for job information. It also called on small and medium-sized businesses to provide vacancy information to help recruit returnees and ease employment pressure. Foreign media reported that the most serious military conflict in decades erupted along the border in late July, killing at least 43 people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Tensions prompted large numbers of Cambodian workers to return. Official figures put returns above 860,000 by mid-August, while unofficial estimates ranged from 1.5 million to two million. The return has affected both economies. Thai construction, fishing, farming and processing industries reliant on low-cost migrant labour face shortages, with some export orders potentially delayed. The International Labour Organization estimates migrants contribute about 4–6 percent of Thai GDP, making a large departure economically disruptive. A Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) brief said that 31 percent of Cambodian households with migrant members held loans. The average loan among those households was about US$5,000. CDRI estimated that poverty among migrant households could rise to around 50 percent if returnees were unemployed and contributed no income while household consumption increased. Citing the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the brief put nationwide vacancies at around 190,000 as of August 10, 2025, mostly in manufacturing and services. The brief noted that the jobs did not fully match returnees’ skills, limiting how many workers they could absorb. Experts said the episode exposed vulnerabilities in both countries’ labour policies and economic structures. Thailand needs alternative labour arrangements, while Cambodia urgently needs social protection and employment support to avoid another outward migration. Suggested measures include debt-payment deferrals, reduced medical burdens and vocational training, alongside stronger bilateral labour agreements to protect workers’ rights. Compiled by our newsroom