RIGA, May 22 (LETA) - Results from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in Latvia 868,000 people, or 63.2 percent of the population aged 15-74, were employed in the first quarter of 2025.

Over the year employment rate fell by 0.8 percentage points and number of employed persons by 11,900, whereas over the quarter the rate reduced by 0.2 percentage points and the number of employed persons increased by 800.

The statistics in this news release covers people aged 15-74 (including).

In the first quarter of 2025, employment rate for men was 5.2 percentage points higher than for women - 65.9 percent and 60.7 percent, respectively.

Employees accounted for 86.4 percent of the employed persons, self-employed for 8.1 percent, employers for 5 percent, and unpaid family workers (working in a family business / private practice / agricultural holding) just for 0.5 percent.

Latvian employment rate was above the EU average (61.8 percent in Q4 2024). In Estonia it was 67.4 percent and in Lithuania 65.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025.

In the first quarter of 2025, employment rate for young people (aged 15-24) was 28.1 percent, thus being 2.8 percentage points lower than in the corresponding period a year ago. The total number of employed youths made up 52,300 (57,800 in Q1 2024).

In the first quarter of 2025, employed persons worked on average 37.4 hours per week in the main job, which is 0.5 hours fewer than in the previous quarter and 0.6 hours fewer than a year ago. The figure for men was higher than for women - on average, 38 and 36.8 hours per week respectively.

One in twelve employed persons (75,400 people, or 8.7 percent) worked part-time, which is 3,200 people (0.5 percentage points) more than a year ago and 6,500 people (0.7 percentage points) more than in the previous quarter.

In the first quarter of 2025, 51,800 employed persons (6 percent) held a second job, i.e., had another job in addition to their main job or did odd jobs and earned extra income. The number has gone up by 7,000 people (15.6 percent) over the year and by 7,600 people (17.2 percent) over the quarter.

Women held a second job more often than men - 31,600 and 20,300 respectively. Those holding a second job mainly worked 1-10 hours per week (41 percent) and 11-20 hours per week (34.2 percent).

In the first quarter of 2025, LFS covered 5,000 households in which 8,300 people aged 15-89 were interviewed, including 4,300 households with 7,100 people aged 15-74.