64.2 % of the population were employed in Q3 2024

Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in Latvia 880.1 thousand people or 64.2 % of the population 1 aged 15–74 (incl.) were employed in Q3 2024.

In the age group 75–89 there were 6.1 thousand employed persons (3.7 %).

Over the year employment rate for people aged 15–74 fell by 0.5 percentage points and number of employed persons by 10.8 thousand, whereas over the quarter the rate has gone down by 0.1 percentage points and the number by 2.3 thousand.

In Q3 2024, employment rate for men was 4.7 percentage points higher than for women – 66.7 % and 62.0 %, respectively.

Employees accounted for 86.3 % of the employed persons in Q3 2024, self-employed for 7.8 %, employers for 4.9 %, and unpaid family workers (working in a family business/private practice/agricultural holding) for only 0.9 %.

Employed population

(thousand)

Refer to the OSP database: NBL020c

Irrespective of the fact that Latvian employment rate is above the EU average (61.8 % in Q2 2024), in Q3 2024 it was the lowest among the Baltic countries (69.1 % in Estonia and 66.7 % in Lithuania).

Refer to the Eurostat database: LFSQ_ERGAED;

Q3 2024 data  – OSP database table NBL020c, results from the LFS conducted in Lithuania and Estonia.

30.8 % of the young people were employed

One in a three young people aged 15–24 (58.2 thousand) was employed in Q3 2024 (59.9 thousand in Q3 2023). Employment rate for young people was 30.8 %, thus being 1.6 percentage points lower than in the corresponding period a year ago.

Employed worked 38.5 hours per week in the main job

In Q3 2024, employed persons worked on average 38.5 hours per week in the main job, which is 0.7 hours more than in the previous quarter and 0.1 hours fewer than a year ago.

One in a thirteen employed (68.8 thousand people or 7.8 %) worked part-time, which is 0.6 thousand people fewer than a year ago (with no difference in percentage points) and 1.3 thousand people or 0.1 percentage points fewer than in the previous quarter.

The share of a second job holders has gone down

In Q3 2024, 38.7 thousand employed persons (4.4 %) held a second job, i.e., had another job in addition to their main job or did odd jobs and earned extra income. The number has gone down by 5.2 thousand people or 11.8 % over the year and by 7.4 thousand people or 16.1 % over the quarter.

Women held a second job more often than men (20.9 thousand and 17.8 thousand, respectively). Those holding a second job mainly worked 1–10 hours per week (38.2 %) and 11–20 hours per week (27.0 %).

Education as well as human health and social work activities were the economic activities engaging majority of the people with a second job (18.6 % and 16.0 %, respectively).

Number of employees working remotely is reducing

In Q3 2024, 11.4 % of employees (86.6 thousand) worked remotely². The figure has gone down by 0.3 thousand people over a year (from 86.9 thousand or 11.3 %) and by 6.5 thousand people or 0.9 percentage points over a quarter (from 93.1 thousand or 12.3 %). Women accounted for 59.5 % and men for 40.5 % of those working remotely.

Breakdown of the data by economic activity shows that information and communication as well as financial and insurance activities engaged the most remote workers (51.2 % and 50.0 % of all people in the corresponding economic activity, respectively). Public administration and defence; compulsory social security engaged a fourth of the remote workers (24.9 %) whereas scientific activities, administrative activities as well as real estate activities slightly less (22.1 %).

In Q3 2024 LFS covered 5.1 thousand households in which 8.6 thousand people aged 15–89 were interviewed, including 4.5 thousand households with 7.4 thousand people aged 15–74.

Methodological information

¹ LFS results are extrapolated to the population that includes citizens of Ukraine who have received temporary protection in Latvia and live in private households.

² Remote work refers to an alternative work arrangement in which employed person performs all official duties at an approved alternative worksite away from the employers’ main workplace. 

Media requests:
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on data:
Sandra Ceriņa
Social Statistics Data Compilation and Analysis Section
E-mail: Sandra.Cerina@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366653