In Q2 of this year, in Latvia there were 17.6 thousand young unemployed persons, comprising 15.4% of the total number of unemployed aged 15-74. Labour Force Survey results compiled by the Central statistical Bureau of Latvia show that most (79.9%) of the youngsters were aged 20-24. Nevertheless unemployment of young people is reducing, it still is notably higher, as compared to the indicator in other age groups.
In Latvia, the highest young people (in the age group 15-24) unemployment rate in the total active population of youth was recorded in Q4 of 2009; while since the beginning of 2010 it is gradually reducing, and in Q2 of 2013 it comprised 20.1% – 11 percentage points less than in the corresponding period of the previous year, 2.8 percentage points less than in Q1 of this year, and 3.1 percentage points less than EU average (23.2%).
Unemployment rate in the Baltic States was below the EU average (23.2% in June) – 16.1% in Estonia, 20.1% in Latvia, and 20.3% in Lithuania (June data).
According to the latest data of the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the highest young people unemployment was recorded in Greece (58.7%, April data), Spain (56.1%) and Croatia (55.6%), as well as Portugal (41%) and Italy (39.1%, June data). Only in some countries (Germany and Austria) youth unemployment was lower than ten per cent.
In Q2, there were 889 thousand employed persons or 57.9% of the population aged 15-74; 69.8 thousand (29.6% of the total youngster number) of them were young people aged 15-24.
Source: Baltic News Network
http://bnn-news.com/number-young-job-seekers-latvia-reduces-101401/attachment/4701274