On Labour Force Survey results in the 3rd quarter of 2007

The CSB has compiled the Labour Force Survey results on the 3^rd quarter of 2007. By means of random sampling for the 3^rd quarter 6 thsd households were selected and 7.3 thsd persons aged 15 to 74 years were interviewed, wherewith results on situation in labour market and population economic activity include this age group. In order to generalize the survey data is used calculated number of population at the beginning of 2007.

Economically active population

The economically active population or labour force consists of employed persons and persons who are actively seeking a job.

Two thirds (66.6 %) of the population aged 15-74 years was economically active; this indicator was 73.6% among men and 60.5% among women. In the 3^rd quarter of 2007 the number of economically active population increased by 0.7% in comparison with the relevant period of 2006.

Employed population

Considered as employed are all those persons who in the reference week did some work at least for one hour for salary or wage, or did worked with the aim to earn money, or to produce goods for personal consumption. The number of employed includes also all persons who although holding a job did not work in the reference period for various reasons (vacation, illness, shift work, studies, childcare leave up to 3 months.

The results of the survey show that totally 1130.8 thsd persons (62.7% of the total number of population aged 15-74 years) in the country were employed. Only 4.4% of these did not work for various reasons mentioned above. Compared to the previous year, the number of employed in the 3^rd quarter of 2007 has increased (1118.8 thsd persons in the first quarter of 2006), as has the share of employed in the total number of population (in the 3^rd quarter of 2006 this indicator was 61.8%).

Of the total number of employed in the 3^rd quarter 2007, the percentage of men was slightly higher than that of women, 51.5 % and 48.5 %, respectively.

Latvian legislation has fixed the length of the working week at 40 hours. The survey data showed that slightly more than two fifths (67.3%) of the employed worked 40 hours a week as established by legislation, each twelfth (8.6%) worked less than 40 hours a week (these were mainly women) but each fifth (19.7%) worked longer hours than the official working week (this group consisted primarily by men). This is an indication that many persons try to earn extra income by working longer hours at the basic job.

66.5 thsd persons in the country worked part time. Every third (29%) had to work shorter working hours since they could not find a job with full-time working days; for slightly more than one fourth (26.2%) the length of the working day was influenced by various personal of family conditions (the need to look after children, taking care of an adult, etc.; one sixth (15.9%) in addition to work was studying and because of this could not take a full-time job; one seventh (14.6%) was not willing at all to work full time.

Under the current economic conditions wages and salaries earned at a place of work are not sufficient so people try to find a possibility to earn an extra income. The results of the survey show that in the third quarter of 2007 69.3 thsd persons (6.1% of the total number of the employed) held a secondary job. This number is probably higher as not every respondent wants to reveal the source and field their additional income has come from.

The livelihood of the population usually comes from various sources of income and because of this the respondents indicated several sources of income during the survey. The compiled results show that for almost three fifths of the population (57.4 %) the most essential sources of income were wages and salaries; for every third (29.3%) it was the support by relatives, friends or family members; every fourth (22.3%) received a pension and one seventh (13.6%) received some kind of a social assistance benefit paid by the State Social Insurance Agency (benefit in case of unemployment, maternity, illness or funeral etc.).

The unemployed

Considered as unemployed are persons aged 15-74 years 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,), 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. Besides, these persons could be either registered or not registered with the State Employment Agency.

The results of the survey show that in the 3^rd quarter of 2007 there were 70.7 thsd unemployed or 5.9% of the economically active population in Latvia (both employed and unemployed). Compared to the previous year, the number of unemployed in the third quarter of 2007 has decreased (73.9 thsd in the 3^rd quarter of 2006), as has the rate of unemployed to the number of economically active population (6.2% in the third quarter of 2006). In the third quarter of 2007 the share of unemployed in the number of economically active men in the country was higher than that of women (in the share of economically active women), 6.4% and 5.3%, respectively. One fifth (20.5%) were long-term unemployed.

Slightly more than two thirds (70.2%) of the unemployed has had a previous work experience. It is noteworthy that according to international methodology if an unemployed person has ceased working more than eight years ago, his or her previous employment is not looked upon as a work experience.

Dismissal from work due to various personal or family considerations mentioned as the main reason for unemployment slightly more than two fifths (44%), moreover, this reason as the main cause was mentioned by almost half (47.5%) of men un and two fifths (39.8%) of women. As second main reason for the dismissal from the work was mentioned stuff cuts (26% of total unemployed) – it was mentioned by one fourth of men (25%) and 27.1% of women. The third biggest group (8.7%) is formed by the people who had been holders of a temporary job according to the employment contract (6.9% of unemployed men and 10.8% of women).

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 3^rd quarter of 2007 was 602.2 thsd and compared to the previous year their number has decreased by 2.4% (this indicator in the 3^rd quarter of 2006 was 616.9 thsd).

Particular attention in this group should be paid to persons who are potential unemployed but have been discouraged or do not know where and how to find a job. The results of the survey show that the number of discouraged persons in the 3^rd quarter of 2007 was 21.7 thsd or 3.6 % of the economically inactive population. Compared to 3^rd quarter of 2006 this number did not change.

Of these, pensioners in the 3^rd quarter of 2007 accounted for two fifths (40.6%), pupils and students who in the reference week studied full time and did not work were every fourth (28.4%), every tenth (9.6%) considered themselves as housekeepers, every thirteenth (8%) were persons who had been ill for a long time or disabled.

The main indicators of Labour Force Survey in the Baltic States

… data on the 3^rd quarter of 2007 are not available yet

Prepared by the Labour Statistics Section
Tel. 67366886
Zaiga Priede