Thailand's labour market is deteriorating: Q2 2026 saw unemployment spike 9.7% to ~400k people, with young graduates (20-24 yrs) hardest hit at 35.7% of jobless. While new sectors like AI and automation are creating roles, they demand reskilling in digital/tech—a shift young workers and SMEs lack resources to adapt to. Rising layoffs (up 49.6%), wage compression, and SME cash-flow crises compound the challenge of wealth-building for Gen Z versus debt accumulation.