Youth labour market outcomes in Latvia

The situation of youth in the Latvian labour market has undergone dramatic changes over the last decade. After plummeting in the years of catch-up growth since the mid-2000s, youth unemployment increased threefold in just two years to reach unprecedented levels. The NEET rate among 15 to 29 year-olds soared accordingly. The recovery that started in 2011 allowed for a quick return back close to the OECD average – a trend that was not observed in other countries heavily hit by the crisis. The recovery for youth was however rather “jobless” in the sense that increasing employment rates are explained primarily by a decline of the youth population driven by low birth rates and emigration.