Latvian unemployment rate was 7.2 % in Q1 2024

Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in Q1 2024 Latvia had an unemployment rate of 7.2 %. The rate has been growing since the Q3 2023; over the quarter it went up by 0.4 percentage points and over the year by 0.8 percentage points.

In Q1 2024 there were 68.7 thousand unemployed persons aged 15–74 (incl.), which is 8.9 thousand more than a year ago and 4.5 thousand more than in the previous quarter.

Number of unemployed persons

(thousand)

Refer to the OSP database: NBB160c

In Q4 2023 Latvian unemployment rate (6.8 %) was 0.7 percentage points above the EU average (6.1 %). In Q1 2024 it was lower than in Estonia (7.8 %) and Lithuania (8.2 %).

Refer to the Eurostat database: LFSQ_URGAED; Q1 2024 data: OSP database table NBB160c, results of the LFS conducted in Lithuania and Estonia.

Greater proportion of long-term unemployed

In Q1 2024, slightly more than a half of unemployed persons or 36.7 thousand did not have a job for up to five months, which is 2.8 thousand more than a year ago and 2.5 thousand more than in the previous quarter. Persons unemployed for 6–11 months accounted for 11.2 thousand – the number has grown by 2.4 thousand over the year and reduced by 1.1 thousand over the quarter.

In Q1 2024 there were 20.5 thousand long-term unemployed persons, which is a rise of 3.4 thousand over the year and of 3.5 thousand over the quarter. The share of long-term unemployed in the total number of unemployed persons was 30.0 %, which is 1.5 percentage points more than a year ago and 3.2 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.

Number of unemployed youths down by one tenth over the quarter

In Q1 2024 young people (aged 15–24) accounted for 11.4 % of all unemployed persons. The share has gone down by 3.0 percentage points over the year and by 2.1 percentage points over the quarter.

Youth unemployment rate was 11.9 %, which is 1.5 percentage points lower than a year ago and 1.8 percentage points lower than in the previous quarter. The total number of unemployed youths reduced by 0.8 thousand or 9.3 % over the year and by 0.9 thousand or 10.3 % over the quarter.

Out of all young people, 35.1 % were economically active (i.e., employed or actively looking for a job (unemployed)), while 64.9 % inactive (mostly still in education and not looking for job).

Decline in inactive population

In Q1 2024 almost a third of the population aged 15–74 (31.1 % or 427.3 thousand people) was inactive, i.e., was neither in employment, nor actively looking for a job. Over the quarter inactive population reduced by 3.1 thousand people or 0.7 % while over the year by 14.2 thousand people or 3.2 %.

Out of the total inactive population, 4.3 thousand people or 1.0 % were discouraged from finding a job (0.7 % in Q1 2023).

In Q1 2024 LFS covered 5.2 thousand households in which 8.7 thousand people aged 15–89 were interviewed, including 4.5 thousand households with 7.5 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