(KPL) The Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare convened a stakeholder consultation on September 24, 2026 to address domestic labour shortages and develop short- and long-term plans to better match worker supply with employer demand.

The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Anousone Khamsingsavath, Director General of the Department of Employment and Head of the Secretariat of the Labour Supply Balancing Committee.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Anousone called for open and practical discussions on the domestic employment system, labour demand and structural challenges affecting job placement. She noted that rapid socio-economic changes, technological advances, natural disasters and inflation have affected livelihoods, employment stability and business operations.

She stressed the need for effective mechanisms to balance labour supply and demand, particularly as domestic employers and investment projects face changing workforce requirements.

The Ministry has introduced measures including online job-matching platforms, recruitment fairs and public-private consultations. However, challenges remain, particularly the limited use of digital employment services, gaps in real-time labour market data and mismatches between available workers and employer requirements.

These gaps also make it more difficult to align vocational training and skills development programmes with actual market demand. Stronger coordination between government agencies, employers and other stakeholders is therefore needed to build a more responsive employment system.

Mrs. Anousone called on participants to share practical experience and propose workable measures to improve labour recruitment, strengthen wage incentives and ensure a stable and sustainable workforce supply across sectors.

KPL