Analytics, Employment, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Markets and Companies

The minister emphasizes in an interview with "Radio Baltcom" that Latvia still hopes to return its migrants. Even though emigration still exceeds immigration, the trend is on the decline. Increasingly more people leave the country to look for seasonal jobs. However, they do not take their families along, never to return.

Another solution is to re-qualify people, since the level of unemployment in Latvia is currently rather high.

However, if unemployment continues to fall and the country fails to return its migrants, certain sectors may be forced to bring in qualified workers from abroad. Nevertheless, Latvia must not repeat the mistake of some European countries – bringing in a large number of low-skilled workers.

As reported, the unemployment rate will continue to gradually decrease in coming years, and by 2016 and 2017, there could be tension on the job market in Latvia, as the work-force will begin to have the upper hand over employers and pressure them to increase wages, Economy Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Vilnis Kirsis (Reform Party) said during a Saeima Parliamentary Inquiry Committee meeting yesterday.

According to the State Employment Agency's data, the unemployment rate shrank to 10.4% in April.