Analytics, Employment, Labour-market, Latvia, Markets and Companies

In 2011 there were 166.1 thousand unemployed persons in the country. The share of unemployed in total active population comprised 16.1%. In compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) methodology, persons without work, actively seeking work and available to start work immediately are considered as unemployed.

 

Survey data show that in 2011 there were 566.4 thousand inactive persons in the country (individuals that can be considered neither as employed, nor as active unemployed). 8.3 thousand of them were persons seeking work but not immediately available², whereas 77.7 thousand were persons available to work but not seeking³. Both groupings (85.9 thousand persons) comprise potential additional labour force.

 

Persons seeking work but not immediately available mainly have not graduated their studies, are short-term disabled or are not immediately available due to family reasons.

 

Persons available to work but not seeking are mentioning studies, own illness or disability, family reasons as well as the fact that they have been discouraged to find a job as the main reasons for not seeking work. Persons available to work but not seeking mostly are young people and retired.

 

Survey data show that share of women in all three new labour market indicators is higher than that of men.

Population (aged 15-74) by gender and labour status, 2011

The highest share of women (59.2%) was recorded among persons seeking work but not immediately available. The number constituted 55.7% among underemployed part-time workers. While among persons available to work but not seeking the share of women comprised 53.7%.

 

Level of education is rather significant for person to be competitive in the labour market. The image below depicts data on persons aged 25-74. This indicator excludes information on young people aged 15-24, as large part of them is still studying.

Population (aged 25-74) by labour status and level of education, 2011

Slightly more than one third (35%) of the employed working suitable hours had higher education, while 26% of underemployed part-time workers and 27% of persons seeking work but not immediately available had higher education. Low higher education rates (13%) were recorded among persons available to work but not seeking.

 

Highest shares in all activity groups were recorded for persons having vocational or professional secondary education – from 31% to 39%.
 

More information on indicators to supplement unemployment is available in the CSB webpage data base.

Data in Eurostat homepage data base are not re-calculated in compliance with the results of the Population and Housing Census.
 

Definitions of indicators to supplement unemployment:

¹ Underemployed part-time workers are persons aged 15-74 working part-time which wish to work additional hours and are available to do so within the next two weeks.

² Persons seeking work but not immediately available are persons aged 15-74 neither employed norunemployed who are actively seeking work during the last 4 weeks, butnot available for work in the next 2 weeks.

³ Persons available to work but not seeking are persons aged 15-74 neither employed nor unemployed who want to work, are available for work in the next 2 weeks but do not seek work.