In the 1st quarter the number of job vacancies rose by 14 %
Data of the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that at the end of the 1st quarter of 2021 there were 21.5 thousand job vacancies in Latvia, which is 2.6 thousand vacancies or 14.0 % more than in the 1st quarter of 2020. In private sector there were 14.1 thousand and in public sector 7.4 thousand job vacancies. Over the year, the number of job vacancies in private sector increased by 3.2 thousand or 28.7 %, while in public sector – reduced by 0.5 thousand or 6.6 %.
Compared to the 4th quarter of 2020, the number of job vacancies rose by 24.6 % or 4.2 thousand. In private sector it increased by 43.2 % or 4.3 thousand, but in public sector it remained the same – 7.4 thousand.
Starting with the 1st quarter of 2021 State Revenue Service data is used for the calculation of the number of occupied posts, in the result, compared to the 1st quarter of 2020, in the 1st quarter this year the number of occupied posts rose to 914.0 thousand or by 1.4 %.
Unemployment rate data source: CSB Labour Force Survey
The highest share of job vacancies was recorded among craft and related trades workers, as well as among technicians and associate professionals (3.6 %) and elementary occupations (3.4 %).
In the 1st quarter of 2021 the most significant rise was observed in demand for elementary occupations, clerical support workers (office workers) and plant and machine operators and assemblers. In turn, a drop was observed in demand for skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers, professionals, as well as for craft and related trades workers.
The highest share of job vacancies was recorded in mining and quarrying (5.8 %), public administration (5.2 %), construction (4.2 %), manufacturing (3.3 %), as well as health and social care (2.8 %).
Job vacancies and occupied posts by main kind of economic activity in the 1st quarter of 2021
| Job vacancies, thousand | Occupied posts, thousand | Job vacancy rate, % |
Total | 21.5 | 914.0 | 2.3 |
Agriculture, forestry and fishing (A) | 0.2 | 21.7 | 0.7 |
Mining and quarrying (B) | 0.2 | 2.8 | 5.8 |
Manufacturing (C) | 4.0 | 115.8 | 3.3 |
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (D) | 0.2 | 11.8 | 1.5 |
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (E) | 0.2 | 7.7 | 2.4 |
Construction (F) | 2.8 | 63.8 | 4.2 |
Wholesale and retail sale; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (G) | 2.2 | 142.2 | 1.5 |
Transportation and storage (H) | 1.9 | 70.5 | 2.6 |
Accommodation and food service activities (I) | 0.3 | 26.3 | 0.9 |
Information and communication (J) | 1.0 | 41.8 | 2.3 |
Financial and insurance activities (K) | 0.3 | 16.4 | 1.8 |
Real estate activities (L) | 0.6 | 30.1 | 2.0 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities (M) | 0.4 | 44.3 | 0.8 |
Administrative and support service activities (N) | 0.7 | 39.3 | 1.8 |
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security (O) | 3.5 | 64.0 | 5.2 |
Education (P) | 0.9 | 101.7 | 0.9 |
Human health and social work activities (Q) | 2.1 | 75.1 | 2.8 |
Arts, entertainment and recreation (R) | 0.2 | 24.0 | 0.8 |
Other service activities (S) | 0.0 | 14.6 | 0.1 |
In the 1st quarter this year, the greatest share of job vacancies was observed in Riga region – 2.6 % of all jobs within the region or 13.2 thousand, whereas the lowest – in Zemgale and Latgale regions – 1.8 % or 1.3 thousand in each.
Among all Baltic countries, in the 1st quarter of 2021 the highest share of job vacancies (2.3 %) was registered in Latvia, in Lithuania (1.6 %), but in Estonia it was the lowest (1.5 %).
At the end of the 1st quarter this year, compared to the end of the 1st quarter last year, the largest rise in the number of job vacancies was observed in Lithuania (39.8 %), in Latvia (14.0 %), but in Estonia (9.6 %).
Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666
More information on data:
Andžejs Čerņavskis
Wage Statistics Section
E-mail: Andzejs.Cernavskis@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366666
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