Activity status of population

Information about activity status, occupation, main kind of economic activity, status in employment, and location of place of work of population of Latvia aged 15 and over.

Activity status of a person is defined for each usually resident of Latvia by merging the data from administrative registers and CSB surveys. Based on an international practice, active population engaged in the labour market is defined as of the reference period – November of the previous year (2020), instead of the critical moment of the Population and Housing Census. November is chosen as typical month of the year, bearing in mind that December is the closing month of the year having considerable number of holidays and greater fluctuations in the activity status. The data acquired are attributed to the critical moment of the Census – 1 January 2021. Similar approach is used also in other countries, e.g., the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden.

Considering that the Labour Law of the Republic of Latvia prohibits employment of children in permanent work (with some exceptions specifically provided for in the Law) and that permanent work may be carried out by young people aged 15 and over, engagement of a person in economic activity covers only population aged 15 and over.

Only one activity status is defined for each person. It is done as follows:

1. at first, children that in compliance with the Section 37 of the Labour Law have not reached the national minimum age for economic activity (those aged under 14) are found, followed by classification of
2. unemployed persons,
3. employed persons,
4. pensioners,
5. capital income recipients,
6. students,
7. others.

Data are arranged on the workplace of each usually resident of Latvia in November 2020. For persons having several jobs, one – main job – is defined.

Main job is defined as follows:

1. a job in which based on the State Revenue Service information payroll tax booklet is registered,
2. if there is no information about the payroll tax booklet, main job is the one in which higher number of hours is worked,
3. if the number of hours worked is not known, main job is the one in which wage or salary is higher at the reference moment.

Based on the main job of the person, the following information is defined:

1. occupation, 
2. main kind of economic activity,
3. status in employment,
4. location of place of work.

• Usual resident of Latvia aged 15 and older.

The statistical population covers all inhabitants of Latvia aged 15 and older based on the definition:

Only persons who have lived in Latvia for a continuous period of at least 12 months before 1 January of the respective year as well as persons who have arrived in Latvia with the intention to spend at least one year are considered to be usual residents.

• Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on population and housing censuses;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/543 of 22 March 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns;
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/712 establishing the reference year and the programme of the statistical data and metadata for population and housing censuses provided for by Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/881 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses, as regards the modalities and structure of the quality reports and the technical format for data transmission, and amending Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1799 on the establishment of a temporary direct statistical action for the dissemination of selected topics of the 2021 population and housing census geocoded to a 1 km² grid;
• Cabinet Order No 766 On the Date of the Population and Housing Census of 19 December 2017 .
• Cabinet Regulation No 588 Regulations Regarding the Population and Housing Census 2021 of 10 December 2019 .

• Section Population by economic activity;
• Section Employed.

Indicators characterising current activity status of population in the EU

Results of the Population and Housing Census that are territorially comparable between EU countries are published in the Eurostat database.

Activity statistics produced based on the results of the Population and Housing Census 2021 is partially comparable to the results of the Population and Housing Census 2011.

N/A

Data in administrative and other sources used to estimate activity status, status in employment, occupation, main kind of economic activity, and location of place of work are:

1. State Revenue Service data on employees,
2. State Chancellery database on employees of institutions under the jurisdiction of state,
3. IZM data on students and certified au pairs,
4. State Employment Agency data on unemployed persons,
5. State Social Insurance Agency data on recipients of social insurance services,
6. Health Inspectorate data on medical personnel and medical support personnel,
7. State Education Development Agency data on persons who have received study/student loans for studies outside Latvia,
8. Labour Force Survey conducted by the CSB,
9. EU-SILC survey conducted by the CSB,
10. Survey on ICT usage in Households conducted by the CSB,
11. Data of Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates on advocates and their assistants,
12. Data of Latvian Council of Sworn Notaries on notaries and their assistants,
13. Data of the Latvian Council of Sworn Bailiffs on bailiffs and their assistants,
14. Data of the Pharmacists' Society of Latvia,
15. Data on certified guides,
16. Data of the State Construction Control Bureau (BIS),
17. Data of the Ministry of Agriculture on veterinarians,
18. Data on the clergy of the Roman Catholic Curia of the Riga Metropolis,
19. Data of the Latvian Maritime Administration on holders of seafarers' qualification certificate,
20. Agricultural Census conducted by CSB (2020),
21. Data of the Ministry of Justice (TM), Board of Religious Affairs on clerical staff,
22. Data of the Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia (LRSP) on members of creative unions,
23. Data of the Enterprise Register (UR).

A register-based Population and Housing Census is a full-scope survey. Economic indicators are compiled on usual residents of Latvia aged 15 and over.

Statistics for the economic indicators of population aged 15 and over covers the reference period – November of the previous year – and is attributed to the review moment – 1 January of each year (e.g., November data of 2020 are attributed to 1 January 2021).

At first, activity status and main job of a person are defined by using administrative and other sources providing employment data, mainly State Revenue Service information.

Status in employment, occupation, main kind of economic activity, and location of place of work are attributed to the main job defined prior.

When all indicators are produced, the quality of data is assessed, and all needed corrections are made. The following compliances are monitored:

• occupation and main kind of economic activity with the latest classifications,
• age with occupation,
• occupation with main kind of economic activity.