From Formal to Informal? Global Restructuring and the life Course of Women Workers in Thailand

Abstract

This article analyses the impacts ofglobal economic restructuring on the life course of Thai women workers by using a case study of a community in Bangkok. In the 1980s, the growth of labor-intensive industries was a main driving force behind the economic growth of Thailand, and women manual workers were major contributors in this process. Over time, these industries rapidly lost their competitiveness, and many women workers were forced out oftheir jobs. Subsequently, during the transition period they moved on to various occupations, especially in the low-productive informal sector. Their choices depended on three factors: (1) their own capability, (2) conditions and structures of households, and (3) occupational opportunity. The combination of these factors regulated their choices in different types of occupations. However, there are also socio-economic disparities within the informal sector workers, and it was observed that the strength to correspond and cope with changes and increased competition are not evenly distributed.