RNB2503
Employment rate in Latvia at 64.9 % in Q2 2025
Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that 889.3 thousand people were employed in Q2 2025, representing 64.9 % of the population aged 15–74 and an increase of 1.7 percentage points quarter-on-quarter. The youth employment rate also increased, reaching 31.9 %. The unemployment rate fell to 6.7 % (down by 0.7 percentage points), and the number of long-term unemployed persons dropped by 2 thousand.
Quarter-on-quarter, employment rate went up by 1.7 percentage points and the number of employed persons by 21.3 thousand. Year-on-year, the rate rose by 0.6 percentage points and the number by 6.9 thousand.
In Q2 2025, employment rate for men was 4.7 percentage points higher than for women, at 67.4 % and 62.7 % respectively.
Employed population
(thousand)
| Q2 2024 | 2025 | Change in Q2 2025, compared to | ||||
Q1 | Q2 | Q2 2024 | Q1 2025 | ||||
thousand | % | thousand | % | ||||
Total (aged 15–74) | 882.4 | 868.0 | 889.3 | 6.9 | 0.8 | 21.3 | 2.5 |
males | 438.1 | 430.4 | 439.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 8.8 | 2.0 |
females | 444.3 | 437.6 | 450.1 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 12.5 | 2.9 |
Young people (aged 15–24) | 54.6 | 52.3 | 59.5 | 4.9 | 9.0 | 7.2 | 13.7 |
Refer to the OSP database: NBL020c
Youth employment rate increased
Employment rate for young people aged 15–24 was 31.9 % in Q2 2025, marking a rise of 2.9 percentage points year-on-year. The total number of employed youths stood at 59.5 thousand (54.6 thousand in Q2 2024).
5.4 % of employed persons held a second job
In Q2 2025, 48.3 thousand employed (5.4 %) held a second job, i.e., had another job in addition to their main job or did odd jobs and earned extra income. Year-on-year, the number has risen by 2.2 thousand people or 4.7 %, while quarter-on-quarter, it has reduced by 3.5 thousand people or 6.8 %.
Women held a second job more often than men, at 28.1 thousand and 20.2 thousand respectively. Those holding a second job mainly worked 1–10 hours per week (36.4 %) and 11–20 hours per week (26.2 %).
Unemployment rate reduced
In Q2 2025, there were 63.7 thousand unemployed persons aged 15–74 (incl.). The number has reduced by 2.1 thousand (3.2 %) year-on-year and by 5.8 thousand (8.4%) quarter-on-quarter.
The unemployment rate was 6.7 %, which is 0.2 percentage points lower year-on-year and 0.7 percentage points lower quarter-on-quarter.
Quarter-on-quarter, the number of unemployed men reduced by 5.3 thousand (13.6 %) and of unemployed women by 0.5 thousand (1.7 %).
Number of unemployed persons
(thousand)
| Q2 2024 | 2025 | Change in Q2 2025, compared to | ||||
Q1 | Q2 | Q2 2024 | Q1 2025 | ||||
thousand | % | thousand | % | ||||
Total (aged 15–74) | 65.8 | 69.5 | 63.7 | −2.1 | −3.2 | −5.8 | −8.4 |
males | 39.2 | 39.1 | 33.8 | −5.4 | −13.8 | −5.3 | −13.6 |
females | 26.5 | 30.4 | 29.9 | 3.3 | 12.5 | −0.5 | −1.7 |
Young people (aged 15–24) | 11.1 | 9.8 | 12.9 | 1.8 | 16.7 | 3.1 | 31.9 |
Refer to the OSP database: NBB160c
Number of long-term unemployed went down
In Q2 2025, there were 28.4 thousand unemployed persons who did not have a job for up to five months (down by 3.2 thousand year-on-year and by 5.4 thousand quarter-on-quarter). The number of persons unemployed for 6–11 months totalled 14.0 thousand (up by 2.2 thousand year-on-year and by 1.9 thousand quarter-on-quarter).
Additionally, there were 21.2 thousand long-term unemployed persons (unemployed for 12 months or more), which is a decline of 0.2 thousand year-on-year and of 2.0 thousand quarter-on-quarter. The share of long-term unemployed in the total number of unemployed persons made up 33.3 % (up by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year and down by 0.3 percentage points quarter-on-quarter).
Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment
(per cent)
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 |
Up to 5 months | 56.7 | 52.7 | 56.9 | 53.8 | 53.7 | 48.8 | 57.2 | 46.5 | 48.9 | 44.7 |
6–11 months | 14.7 | 17.6 | 17.5 | 19.4 | 16.3 | 18.1 | 15.4 | 14.7 | 17.5 | 22.0 |
12 months and more | 28.5 | 29.7 | 25.6 | 26.8 | 30.0 | 33.1 | 27.4 | 38.7 | 33.6 | 33.3 |
CSB estimate; the totals may not constitute 100 % as the numbers are calculated from unrounded figures.
Decline in inactive population
Almost a third of the population aged 15–74 (30.4 % or 417.1 thousand people at this age) was inactive in Q2 2025, i.e., was neither in employment, nor actively looking for a job. Quarter-on-quarter, inactive population has reduced by 18.9 thousand people or 4.3 %, while year-on-year, by 7.5 thousand people or 1.8 %.
In Q2 2025, LFS covered 4.8 thousand households in which 7.9 thousand people aged 15–89 were interviewed, including 4.2 thousand households with 6.9 thousand people aged 15–74.
Additional LFS results, including information on hours worked in the main job, remote work, youth unemployment rate, and other, are available on the official statistics portal, in sections Employment, Unemployment and Labour status.
Media requests:
Public Relations Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666
More information on the data:
Sandra Ceriņa
Social Statistics Data Analysis and Dissemination Section
Email: Sandra.Cerina@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366653
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