This European country, known for its remarkably beautiful women, is suffering from a shortage of men — which has created demand for the 'man for an hour' service, where women hire men to perform various household tasks at home, writes New York Post. The phenomenon has become a strange and modern solution for smart, single women, notes the portal The Sun. This is how they write about Latvia, reports LA.LV.
The acute shortage of men across Latvia is increasingly forcing women to resort to the services of a 'man for an hour' to get help around the house. According to a recently published report by Eurostat, there are 15.5% more women than men in Latvia — this is three times the average rate in the European Union. Moreover, in the age group over 65, there are twice as many women as men.
As the media notes, as a result, the Baltic country finds itself in a sad demographic situation.
To compensate for the shortage of men, many women turn to services that allow them to hire a man for household tasks for a short period. The shortage is explained by the fact that Latvian women are, on average, better educated, have better health, and live longer than men.
Although the name itself sounds ambiguous, there is a real boom in the popularity of such platforms where women can hire 'golden hands' — craftsmen for plumbing, carpentry, repairs, and even TV installation — all without awkward dates. These services can be ordered online or by phone.
Upon arrival, the craftsmen perform all necessary tasks — painting walls, wallpapering, fixing taps, hanging curtains, and solving other household issues.
Why is gender inequality in Latvia so great? International experts partially explain this imbalance by the significantly lower life expectancy of men due to health problems and unhealthy lifestyles, reports World Atlas.
"Men smoke about three times more often – 31% of men compared to 10% of women," the website states. "Men also have a higher risk of obesity – 62% are overweight or obese, compared to 57% of women."
Among those under 30, there are more men, but by the age of 30 to 39, there are nearly 3,000 more women than men. Women in Latvia live on average 11 years longer than men — this is the largest difference in life expectancy among all EU countries.
