Analytics, Employment, EU – Baltic States, Labour-market, Latvia, Markets and Companies

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, 84.1 thousand people aged 15–74 were unemployed, which is 10.3 thousand fewer than a year ago and 2.5 thousand fewer than in the previous quarter.

Latvian unemployment rate has been exceeding the European Union (EU) average indicator since the end of the 3^rd quarter of 2008 (except for the 1^st quarter of 2015 when both rates were equal). In the 2^nd quarter of 2017, Latvian unemployment rate (8.9%) was 1.3 percentage points above the EU average (7.6%). In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, Latvian unemployment rate still was the highest among the Baltic states (5.2% in Estonia and 6.6% in Lithuania).

Data source: Eurostat database, data on the 3^rd quarter of 2017 – Labour Force Surveys of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Long-term unemployed persons

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, the share of long-term unemployed persons, i.e., those who have been without work for 12 months or longer, in the total number of unemployed persons declined by 1.5 percentage points – from 41.6% in the 3^rd quarter of 2016 to 40.1% in the 3^rd quarter of 2017. Over the year, the number of long-term unemployed persons reduced by 5.7 thousand, and in the 3^rd quarter of 2017 it constituted 33.6 thousand.

Youth unemployment

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, youth unemployment rate constituted 17.6%, which is 1.7 percentage points lower than a year ago and 1.1 percentage points higher than in the 2^nd quarter of 2017.  During the year, the number of young unemployed persons fell by 1.3 thousand, and, compared to the 2^nd quarter of 2017, it went up by 0.5 thousand.

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, out of the total number of unemployed persons, 13.3 thousand or 15.8% were young people aged 15–24. Their share in the total number of unemployed persons rose by 0.3 percentage points over the year and by 1.1 percentage points compared to the 2^nd quarter of 2017.

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, 42.4% of all young people were active, i.e., employed or actively seeking a job (unemployed), while 57.6% of young people were inactive (mainly studying and not seeking a job).

Inactive population

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, 30.5% or 433.0 thousand people aged 15–74 were inactive. i.e., were neither employed nor actively seeking a job. Compared to the 2^nd quarter of 2017, the inactive population declined by 14.1 thousand or 3.2%, while compared to the 3^rd quarter of 2016 – by 24.9 thousand or 5.4%.

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, 19.5 thousand people or 4.5% of the inactive population were discouraged to find a job (in the 3^rd quarter of 2016 the indicator constituted 4.2% and in the 2^nd quarter of 2017 – 3.7%).

In the 3^rd quarter of 2017, the Labour Force Survey covered 4.1 thousand households, in which 7.6 thousand persons aged 15–74 were interviewed.

More employment statistics is available in the CSB database section Employment and Unemployment – Key Indicators. Results of the Labour Force Survey are published in the CSB database section Employment and Unemployment.

As of the 3^rd quarter of 2017, the quarterly indicators on unemployed persons by main sector of economic activity (NACE Rev.2) in the last job will not be published; only the annual statistics will be published.