As summer approaches, the situation in the labor market traditionally improves — seasonal vacancies appear, and some unemployed individuals find work.
The level of registered unemployment in Latvia currently stands at 4.7% of the economically active population, reported the director of the State Employment Agency, Evita Simson, during the broadcast of the program 'Morning Panorama' (LTV). For comparison, at the end of March, the figure was 4.9%, and in February it was 5.2%.
'The decrease in registered unemployment is related to the onset of seasonal work,' Simson explained.
According to the agency, as of May 5, there are 41,507 registered unemployed in the country. Over the month, their number has significantly decreased — at the end of March, there were more than 43,900.
The main factor is the activation of sectors such as agriculture, construction, and peat extraction. It is here that the demand for labor traditionally increases in the spring.
There are currently just under 10,000 vacancies. The most in-demand workers are those with medium and low qualifications — in construction, manufacturing, and retail. In these areas, demand remains high due to staff turnover.
At the same time, there are also offers for higher-level specialists — for example, in the financial sector.
The situation remains uneven across regions. The highest level of unemployment persists in Latgale, but it is also there that a more noticeable decrease in the figure is currently observed.
For context: at the end of last year, unemployment in Latvia was around 5%, and in spring, the labor market traditionally 'revives' due to seasonal work.
In the coming months, the trend of decreasing unemployment is likely to continue.
