Gender equality: employment and earnings
Equal earnings are one of the key gender equality indicators, since they serve as the basis for benefits and pensions received in future. Regardless the fact that gender equality in the EU is stipulated by several regulatory enactments and Latvian legislation provides for equal rights to both genders, gender inequality in the labour market may be observed.
Employment rate
In 2023, employment rate among males was 5.5 percentage points higher than that among females – 67.1 % and 61.6 %, respectively.
Regardless of the fact that Latvian legislation enhances gender equality in the labour market, the greatest gender gap in employment may be observed among population aged 25-34 (9.1 percentage points).
Earnings, occupations and economic activities
Females more commonly are employed in lower salaried economic activities as well as sector of national economy having lower average wages and salaries, but even in the same occupations and professions, there is a wage gap.
Craft and related trades workers was the most popular occupation among males (18.5 %) followed by plant and machine operators and assemblers (15.7 %), whereas among females those were professionals (26.8 %) and service and sales workers (22.0 %).
¹ Occupations based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations. Teachers – senior specialists in education. Accountants – occupations classified under codes 2411, 2413, 3313, and 4311. Nursing professionals – occupations classified under codes 2221 and 3221. Lawyers and judges – occupations classified under codes 2611, 2612, and 2619. Software developers – occupations classified under codes 2512, 2513, 2514, and 2519
In 2022, the average gross hourly earnings of Latvian women were by 17.1 % lower than those of men, i.e., for each euro a male employee earned female employee earned 83 cents. The lowest gender pay gap since 2011 (14.1 %) was observed in 2021 (14.6 %), while the highest pay gap was reached in 2020 (22.3 %). The smallest gender pay gap may be observed among young people under 25 years (11.1 %) and 65+ (11.0 %).
The biggest difference is in the age group 35-44 years. Although the number of employed persons is similar, 4.1 thousand more men work as managing directors and company managers, while 4.7 thousand more women work as shop assistants and salespeople. For young people, the pay gap is smaller because the biggest gaps in employment are in low-paid occupations - the biggest gap between women's and men's employment is in occupations such as salespersons and assistants, which are more often performed by women, followed by waitresses and health care assistants, while the opposite proportion is among the workers.
Industry, transportation, storage, information and communication sectors are economic activities more popular among males, whereas trade as well as education sectors are the most popular among females. The largest share of females may be observed in human health and social care activities (85.6 %), while the largest share of males in construction (91.0 %).
Comparison of full-time and part-time employees shows that in Latvia earnings of part-time employed females are 12.4 % lower than that of males, while among full-time workers gender pay gap reaches 20.0 %.
The greatest gender pay gap may be observed in arts, entertainment and recreation activities (37.2 %) as well as in the information and communication services (34.0 %). The only industry where female wages are higher than male is the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply activities - in 2022, female wages in this industry were 6.1 % higher than male.
Females take leading positions in decision-making occupations less often than males. In 2022, females accounted for 56.1 % of the employees in occupying manager positions . Regardless of the fact that the indicator is comparatively high, women constitute only one fourth (23.3 %) of the members of the board of the largest Latvian companies.
Females less likely than males are the managers of agricultural holdings. In 2020, 44.9 % of all managers were females. The largest share of male-agricultural holding managers was in the age group 25-34, where 67.7 % of holdings are managed by males. The only age group with a predominance of female-agricultural holding managers are in the age group 65 years and older (54.6 %), who manage more agricultural holdings than men in all regions of Latvia. The predominance of females is also observed among the managers who have basic agricultural training in Vidzeme and Pierīga region (51.3 % of males and 50.7 % of females, respectively). On the other hand, male-agricultural holding managers are more likely than females to have vocational or professional education in agriculture (68.3 %) and higher agricultural education (59.7 %). Among organic agricultural holding managers 38.4 % were females. Slightly more than a third of females-organic agricultural holding managers were in the age group 55-64. Slightly less (26.0 %) in the age group 45-54 years, but the least (0.3 %) in the age group 18-24 years.
Women less frequently than men are employed in occupations requiring temporary work abroad. The total number of employed inhabitants of Latvia fulfilling work duties in another country account for 10.7 thousand or 1.2 %. Out of the number, men constitute 94.7 % and women only 5.3 %. Occupational breakdown of the data shows that ships' deck officers, pilots and engineers comprise 31.4 %, ships' deck crews and related workers 13.9 %, house builders and building construction labourers 9.5 %, and building and related electricians 3.1 %. Other occupations are less common among those sending their staff for work abroad.
In February 2024, a study "Novatore Gender Equality Barometer" was conducted, where it was found that 67 % of men believe that there is equality in pay in Latvia, while only 29 % of respondents think so among women. In the division by age groups, it can be observed that with the increase in age, the opinion on pay equality also changes. At the age of 18-29, 74 % of men and 34 % of women believe that pay equality exists, but at the age of 50-65, only 61 % of men and 26 % of women believe that there is pay equality. It is possible to conclude that, along with the expansion of life experience, the opinion about this aspect of equality also becomes more negative.
Overall, 70 % of men and 56 % of women believe that there is equality in career choice, while 71 % of men and 41 % of women believe that there is equality in career development. Also, the study asked whether respondents believe that there is equality in leadership positions in companies and other organizations (eg. management, board, council) and concluded that 74 % of men and 44 % of women believe that there is equality.
A strong influence of stereotypes was observed when respondents were asked about the suitability of positions for gender. Although the majority of respondents (81 %) indicated that the position of senior manager is equally appropriate for both women and men, 17 % believe that it is more appropriate for men and only 1 % that it is more appropriate for a woman.
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate among females is lower than among males – 5.4 % and 7.6 % (or that of males is 2.2 percentage points higher) in 2023.
Part-time workers
In 2023, part-time work (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) was done by one tenth (10.1 %) of the employed women and twice as few men (5.5 %).
Sometimes part-time employment is the only choice – inability to find a full-time job was the second main reason mostly mentioned for working part-time by 21.4 % of males and 25.5 % of females.
Migration of working-age population
Greatest emigration wave started during the post-crisis years, when inhabitants of Latvia went abroad due to financial difficulties. People of working age (aged 20–34) constitute majority of the emigrants.
In 2022, males accounted for 57.0 % and females for 43.0 % of all emigrants. Most part (66.7 %) of the female emigrants was at childbearing age (aged 15–49).
In 2022, 19.2 thousand males and 19.6 thousand females arrived in Latvia for permanent residence (49.5 % and 50.5 % of all emigrants, respectively). From immigrants aged 20–39 37.7 % were men and 35.6 % women.
Gender Equality Index – work
Latvian Gender Equality Index2 calculated by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in the domain Work, which measures the extent to which women and men can benefit from equal access to employment and good working conditions, is assessed with 76.4 points, which is slightly above the EU average (73.8). In the domain Money, which measures gender inequalities in access to financial resources and women’s and men’s economic situation, Latvia is given 68.1 points, which is 14.5 points below the EU ranking (82.6). The low ranking is related to both gender pay gap and higher poverty risk among women.
Methodological explanations:
1 The indicator is estimated based on the Eurostat methodology using average gross hourly earnings of males as a base. The estimate covers all economic activities (except for agriculture, forestry, fishing and public administration) and all enterprises employing 10 persons or more. The average gender wage gap is calculated without excluding a range of influencing factors which would allow to explain the reasons behind the gap. They can be objective, for example, women work in sectors and professions having low average wage, or they may indicate to the discrimination in the labour market.
2 The index rating varies between 1 and 100, where 1 stands for absolute gender inequality and 100 for full gender equality.
Data source
Official statistics portal:
NBL030 Employment rate by sex
NBL080 Employed persons by occupation and sex
NBL040 Employed persons by economic activity and sex (NACE Rev.2)
NBB010 Unemployment rate by sex
NBL100 Share of part-time workers in total number of employed persons
NBL110 Reasons for working part-time
Eurostat database:
LFST_HHEREDCH Employment rate by sex, age group, number of children and age of children
EARN_GR_GPGR2 Gender pay gap
EIGE:
Share of females in boards of the largest enterprises
Gender Equality Index, domain Work
Gender Equality Index, domain Money
United Nations:
United Nations 2020 publication Latvia: influence of the presence of children in the household on the employment of women and men