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According to data collected for the "Youth Guarantee" initiative, over 50,000 residents of Latvia (ages 15 to 29) neither work nor study. Less than half of them receive support to find a job. The main obstacles that prevent them from finding a job are lack of experience and inadequate education.

"I do not know whether this is laziness, but the situation does not look very good," said Steinbuka. "If these young people were all living in one city, it would be the fifth largest city in the country, larger than Rezekne. That is quite tragic," she stressed, adding though that the situation elsewhere in Europe was no better.

"Speaking of Europe, it is 7.5 million young people. Again, in terms of cities, they would make the second largest city in Europe," said Steinbuka.

Under the new support program for youth, the government will have to guarantee a job, or training or learning opportunity for any young person who is unable to find a job for four months after graduating from school, Steinbuka said.

"They can even get a scholarship. But the problem is that many young people do not know about this opportunity," she said referring to a "Eurobarometer" poll, according to which 79 percent of respondents across the European Union had never heard about this support program. In Latvia, only 4 percent said they knew about it, while another 20 percent said they had heard something about it.

"Most young people do not know about what opportunities they have. That is why the Commission has provided funds to Latvia and another three countries, so we could disseminate information about such opportunities," said Steinbuka.

Welfare Minister Uldis Augulis (Greens/Farmers) said in turn, commenting young people's decision to not study or find a job, that part of them were possibly ready to go to work – but not to actually work.

The minister also said, referring to statistics from the State Employment Agency, that over 50 percent of such young people have very low level of education, which consequently means that they have few opportunities to find a job.

Augulis said he hoped that the situation could change once the "Youth Guarantee" program is set in motion.

Participants in the program include the Employment Agency, over 40 vocational schools, State Education Development Agency, Agency for International Programs for Youth, and local governments of Latvia.