Latvia had 19,700 job vacancies in Q2
In the second quarter of 2026, Latvia had 19,700 vacant jobs, down from a year earlier, while the number of filled positions continued to grow. Public administration and the Riga region recorded the highest vacancy shares.
According to data released for the second quarter of 2026, Latvia had 19,700 job vacancies during the period. Of these, 10,500 were in the private sector and 9,200 in the public sector. Vacancies made up 2.1% of all jobs in the country, with a notably higher share in the public sector (3.1%) compared to the private sector (1.7%).
Compared with the same quarter last year, the total number of vacancies fell by 1.8%, or 400 positions. The decline affected both sectors, with a 2.2% drop in the private sector and a 1.4% drop in the public sector.
Employment continues to rise
At the same time, the number of filled jobs reached 904,200 in the second quarter, up 1.4%, or 12,900 positions, from a year earlier. Growth was similar across both sectors, at roughly 1.4-1.5%.
Differences by sector and occupation
The highest vacancy share relative to total positions was recorded among specialist occupations (3.5%), followed by agriculture, forestry and fishery workers, and elementary occupations, at 2.6% and 2.5% respectively.
Among industries, public administration stood out with a 6.2% vacancy share, followed by mining and quarrying (3.3%), and administrative support services along with publishing, broadcasting and content production, each at 2.8%.
Regionally, the Riga region had the highest vacancy share at 2.6%, or 16,200 positions, while Latgale recorded the lowest at just 0.9%, or 600 positions. In Zemgale, 1.5% of jobs were vacant, while Vidzeme and Kurzeme both recorded a 1.1% share.
