RNBBA2414
Latvian unemployment rate was 6.7 % in Q3 2024
Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in Q3 2024 Latvia had an unemployment rate of 6.7 % (6.9 % in Q2 2024). The rate has gone down by 0.2 percentage points over the quarter and up by 0.2 percentage points over the year.
Unemployment rate for men was 2.5 percentage points higher than for women – 7.9 % and 5.4 %, respectively.
In Q3 2024, there were 63.0 thousand unemployed persons aged 15–74 (incl.), which is 1.5 thousand more than a year ago and 2.8 thousand fewer than in the previous quarter.
Number of unemployed persons
(thousand)
| Q3 2023 | 2024 | Change in Q3 2024, | |||||
Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q3 2023 | Q2 2024 | ||||
thousand | % | thousand | % | |||||
Total (aged 15–74) | 61.5 | 68.7 | 65.8 | 63.0 | 1.5 | 2.4 | -2.8 | -4.3 |
males | 35.8 | 37.1 | 39.2 | 37.4 | 1.6 | 4.5 | -1.8 | -4.6 |
females | 25.6 | 31.6 | 26.5 | 25.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.9 | -3.4 |
Young people (aged 15–24) | 8.6 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 8.7 | 0.1 | 1.2 | -2.4 | -21.6 |
Refer to the OSP database: NBB160c
In Q2 2024, Latvian unemployment rate (6.9 %) was 1.1 percentage points above the EU average (5.8 %). In Q3 2024 it was lower than in Estonia (7.4 %) and Lithuania (6.8 %).
Refer to the Eurostat database: LFSQ_URGAED;
Q3 2024 data – OSP database table NBB160c, results from the LFS conducted in Lithuania and Estonia.
Greater proportion of people unemployed for up to five months
In Q3 2024, there were 36.0 thousand persons who did not have a job for up to five months, which is 1.0 thousand more than a year ago and 4.4 thousand more than in the previous quarter. The number of persons unemployed for 6–11 months totalled 9.7 thousand (down by 1.0 thousand over a year and by 2.0 thousand over a quarter).
Additionally, there were 17.2 thousand long-term unemployed persons (unemployed for 12 months or more), which is a rise of 1.4 thousand over the year and decline of 4.2 thousand over the quarter. The share of long-term unemployed in the total number of unemployed persons made up 27.4 % (up by 1.8 percentage points over a year and down by 5.7 percentage points over a quarter).
Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment
(per cent)
| Q1 2023 | Q2 2023 | Q3 2023 | Q4 2023 | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 |
Up to 5 months | 56.7 | 52.7 | 56.9 | 53.8 | 53.7 | 48.8 | 57.2 |
6–11 months | 14.7 | 17.6 | 17.5 | 19.4 | 16.3 | 18.1 | 15.4 |
12 months and more | 28.5 | 29.7 | 25.6 | 26.8 | 30.0 | 33.1 | 27.4 |
CSB estimate; the totals may not constitute 100 % as the numbers are calculated from unrounded figures.
Number of unemployed youths gone down
In Q3 2024, young people (aged 15–24) made up 8.7 thousand or 13.8 % of all unemployed persons. The total number of unemployed youths grew by 0.1 thousand over the year and reduced by 2.4 thousand over the quarter. Their share has gone down by 0.1 percentage points over the year and by 3.0 percentage points over the quarter.
Youth unemployment rate was 13.0 %, which is 0.5 percentage points higher than a year ago and 3.9 percentage points lower than in the previous quarter.
Out of all young people, 35.4 % were economically active (i.e., employed or actively looking for a job (unemployed)), while 64.6 % inactive (mostly still in education and not looking for a job).
Increase in inactive population
In Q3 2024, almost a third of the population aged 15–74 (31.2 % or 427.8 thousand people) was inactive, i.e., was neither in employment, nor actively looking for a job. Over the quarter inactive population grew by 3.2 thousand people or 0.8 % and over the year by 2.8 thousand people or 0.7 %.
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.
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
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