Latvian unemployment rate remained 6.4 % in Q2 2023

Results of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in Q2 2023 Latvia had an unemployment rate of 6.4 %. Over the quarter it has not changed and over the year reduced by 0.2 percentage points.

In Q2 2023 there were 60.6 thousand unemployed persons aged 15–74 (incl.), which is 2.2 thousand fewer than a year ago and 0.8 thousand more than in the previous quarter.

Number of unemployed persons

(thousand)

Refer to the OSP database: NBB160c

In Q1 2023 Latvian unemployment rate (6.4 %) was 0.1 percentage points above the EU average (6.3 %). While in Q2 2023 it was lower than in Estonia (6.7 %) and higher than in Lithuania (6.0 %).

Refer to the Eurostat database: LFSQ_URGAED, data on the Q2 2023 – OSP database table NBB160c, results of the LFS conducted in Lithuania and Estonia.

Proportion of long-term unemployed 29.7 %

In Q2 2023, 31.9 thousand unemployed persons did not have a job for up to five months, which is 2.7 thousand more than a year ago and 2.0 thousand fewer than in the previous quarter. Persons unemployed for 6–11 months accounted for 10.6 thousand (the number has reduced by 2.7 thousand over the year and grown by 1.8 thousand over the quarter).

In Q2 2023 there were 17.9 thousand long-term unemployed persons, which is a drop of 2.4 thousand over the year and a rise of 0.8 thousand over the quarter The share of long-term unemployed in the total number of unemployed persons was 29.7 %, which is 2.7 percentage points fewer than a year ago and 1.2 percentage points more than in the previous quarter.

Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment

(per cent)

CSB estimate; the totals may not constitute 100 % as the numbers are calculated from unrounded figures.

Young people made smaller share of all unemployed persons

In Q2 2023 young people (aged 15–24) accounted for 9.6 % of all unemployed persons. The share has gone down by 5.8 percentage points over the year and by 4.8 percentage points over the quarter.

Youth unemployment rate was 9.6 %, which is 5.2 percentage points lower than a year ago and 3.8 percentage points lower than in the previous quarter. The total number of young unemployed persons reduced by 3.9 thousand over the year and by 2.8 thousand over the quarter.

Out of all young people, 33.2 % were economically active (i.e., employed or actively looking for a job (unemployed)), while 66.8 % were inactive (mostly still in education and not looking for job).

Decline in inactive population

In Q2 2023 almost a third (31.2 % or 430.9 thousand people) of the population aged 15–74 was inactive, i.e., was neither in employment, nor actively looking for a job. Over the quarter inactive population has reduced by 10.6 thousand people or 2.4 % while over the year by 4.7 thousand people or 1.1 %.

Out of the whole inactive population, 3.7 thousand people or 0.9 % were discouraged from finding a job (1.3 % in Q2 2022 and 0.7 % in Q1 2023).

In Q2 2023 LFS covered 5.1 thousand households in which 8.6 thousand people aged 15–89 were interviewed, including 4.4 thousand households with 7.4 thousand people aged 15–74.

Media requests:
Communication Section
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