Analytics, Employment, Labour-market, Latvia, Statistics

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 16:55

In 2018, number of job vacancies in Latvia rose by 5.7 thousand or 33.4%

Andžejs Čerņavskis, Wage Section, 18.03.2019.Print version
Data of Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in 2018 there were 22.7 thousand job vacancies in Latvia, which is 5.7 thousand vacancies or 33.4 % more than in 2017.

In accordance with the CSB methodology, job vacancy is defined as a new or existing salaried post which is vacant or will be vacant in the nearest time and employer is taking active steps to find a suitable employee outside own enterprise and the post may be filled immediately or within the nearest time. CSB is calculating number of job vacancies and occupies posts based on statistical reports submitted and data of the State Revenue Service.




Out of the total number of jobs in Latvia (both occupied and vacant), 2.4% were vacant – 2.3% of which in public sector and 2.5% in private sector.

 

Compared to 2017, in 2018 the average number of occupied posts increased by 9.5 thousand or 1.1% (by 8.5 thousand or 1.4% in private sector and by 1.0 thousand or 0.3% in public sector).


Occupied posts and job vacancies by sector


 

Average in 2017, thousand

Average in 2018, thousand

Changes, %

Job vacancies, total

17.0

22.7

33.4

private sector

10.9

15.9

45.3

public sector

6.1

6.8

12.0

Occupied posts, total

895.7

905.2

1.1

private sector

606.7

615.2

1.4

public sector

289.1

290.0

0.3


The largest share of job vacancies was recorded among craft and related trades workers (4% of all jobs in this occupational group) as well as plant and machine operators and assemblers (3%). Over the year, the sharpest rise was recorded in the demand for plant and machine operators and assemblers, service and sales workers, craft and related trades workers, elementary occupations, as well as clerical support workers. On the other hand, the number of manager job vacancies dropped.


Job vacancies by major occupational group in

Graph - Job vacancies by major occupational grouping
In 2018, the largest share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs within the sector was recorded in public administration and defence (4.9%), construction (3.5%), accommodation and food service activities (3.2%), manufacturing (2.9%), as well as wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (2.8%).

Job vacancies and occupied posts by main kind of economic activity


 

 Average in 2017

Average in 2018

Job vacancies, thousand

Occupied posts, thousand

Job vacancy rate, %

Job vacancies, thousand

Occupied posts, thousand

Job vacancy rate, %

Total

17.0

895.7

1.9

22.7

905.2

2.4

Agriculture, forestry and fishing (A)

0.3

21.7

1.3

0.3

21.8

1.5

Mining and quarrying (B)

0.0

2.8

0.9

0.1

3.0

2.1

Manufacturing (C)

2.6

112.2

2.3

3.4

113.0

2.9

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (D)

0.3

13.3

1.8

0.2

12.3

1.8

Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (E)

0.2

7.9

2.1

0.2

7.8

2.5

Construction (F)

1.3

58.1

2.3

2.2

62.4

3.5

Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

2.2

145.2

1.5

4.2

143.9

2.8

Transportation and storage (H)

1.6

77.0

2.0

2.1

76.1

2.7

Accommodation and food service activities (I)

0.7

32.9

2.0

1.1

34.7

3.2

Information and communication (J)

0.7

32.1

2.0

0.7

34.4

1.9

Financial and insurance activities (K)

0.4

18.2

2.0

0.4

17.3

2.1

Real estate activities (L)

0.4

27.5

1.3

0.3

27.8

1.1

Professional, scientific and technical activities (M)

0.3

41.4

0.8

0.4

42.0

0.9

Administrative and support service activities (N)

0.7

38.0

1.7

0.8

39.0

2.1

Public administration and defence; compulsory social security (O)

3.1

63.5

4.6

3.3

64.2

4.9

Education (P)

0.7

98.6

0.7

0.8

98.2

0.8

Human health and social work activities (Q)

1.5

66.2

2.2

1.8

67.9

2.6

Arts, entertainment and recreation (R)

0.2

24.9

0.9

0.2

25.4

0.9

Other service activities (S)

0.1

14.1

0.6

0.1

14.1

0.8


In 2018, the highest share of job vacancies was observed in Riga region – 2.8% of all jobs within the region or 14.3 thousand, whereas the lowest in Vidzeme region – 1.3% or 0.8 thousand.


CSB is compiling information on occupied posts and job vacancies in breakdown by region based on the address of the office or main activity of an enterprise or institution.


At the end of the 4th quarter of 2018, in Latvia there were 21.3 thousand job vacancies, while their share in the total number of jobs constituted 2.3%. The indicator in Lithuania constituted 1.3% and in Estonia 1.8%.


Compared to the 4th quarter of 2017, the number of job vacancies went up by 3.8 thousand or 21.4%, whereas compared to the 3rd quarter of 2018 it dropped by 1.4 thousand or 6%.







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