CSB releases Labour Force Survey results

20 Aug '08

4 min read

The economically active population or labour force consists of employed persons and persons who are actively seeking a job and are at age of 15 to 74 years.

Two thirds (67.8 %) of the population in this age group were economically active; this indicator comprised 73.4% among men and 62.9% among women. Compared to corresponding period of previous year in the 2nd quarter of 2008 number of economically active population has grown by 3.4%, according to sample Labour Force Survey results on the 2nd quarter of 2008 compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau.

Employed population:
Totally 1142.1 thsd persons (63.6% of the total number of population aged 15-74 years) in the country were employed. Only 3.2% of them did not work due to various reasons (vocation, illness, childcare leave, studies). Compared to the corresponding period of previous year, the number of employed in the 2nd quarter of 2008 has increased (1108.0 thsd persons in the second quarter of 2007), as has the share of employed in the total number of population (in the 2nd quarter of 2007 this indicator constituted 61.4%).

In the 2nd quarter of 2008 the share of men in the total number of employed was slightly higher than that of women, 50.9% and 49.1 %, respectively.

The livelihood of the population usually comes from various sources of income, and because of this during the survey respondents indicated several sources of income. Compiled results show that, most important of the income sources was wages and salaries – for almost three fifths (57.8% of the population aged 15-74).

The unemployed:
Persons aged 15-74, who in the reference week did not work and were not temporarily absent from work (vacation, illness, childcare leave of up to 3 months, etc,), and who during the last four weeks were actively seeking a job, and in case of finding it were prepared to start working within the next two weeks are considered as unemployed. Besides, these persons could be either registered or not registered with the State Employment Agency.

The results of the survey show that in the 2nd quarter of 2008 there were 76.5 thsd unemployed or 6.3% of the economically active population in Latvia (both employed and unemployed). Compared to the corresponding period of previous year, the number of unemployed in the second quarter of 2008 has increased (70.5 thsd in the 2nd quarter of 2007), as has the share of unemployed in the total number of economically active population (6.0% in the second quarter of 2007).

In the 2nd quarter of 2008 the share of unemployed males in the number of economically active men in the country was lower than that of females (in the share of economically active women), constituting 6.2% and 6.3%, respectively. Slightly more than one fourth (26.8%) of the unemployed were long-term unemployed.

Economically inactive population:
Apart from the employed and unemployed there is a part of the population who are not regarded as labour force and consequently they are economically inactive. The number of such persons in the 2nd quarter of 2008 comprised 577.8 thsd, and compared to corresponding period of previous year their number has decreased by 7.5 % (in the 2nd quarter of 2007 this indicator was 625.2 thsd).

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