59-Year-Old Civil Engineer Sent 50 CVs in a Year and Got No Replies
A 59-year-old certified civil engineer in Latvia says he received no response to about 50 CVs and believes age discrimination exists in the job market. The State Labour Inspectorate says it does not track age-specific complaints, though submissions on equal treatment have increased.
A reader has told the Latvian news portal LA.LV that age may be an obstacle in the country's job market. Ivars, a 59-year-old certified civil engineer, sent about 50 CVs over a year and received no reply, not even a rejection with an explanation. The issue is topical as discussion continues about raising the retirement age.
The reader's experience
Ivars specialises in installing water supply, sewage, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and runs his own private practice. In his view, age discrimination exists in the labour market, even if it is not stated openly. He suggests some employers prefer younger staff as easier to adapt, while experienced specialists may be more demanding and more likely to defend their professional views. He also says the pay offered in job ads often does not match what professionals in his field should receive.
The source notes, however, that his experience alone does not prove employers failed to reply because of age; that would require examining specific hiring cases and the reasons behind employers' decisions.
What the State Labour Inspectorate says
The State Labour Inspectorate (VDI), which supervises compliance with labour law in Latvia, receives submissions about possible unequal treatment at work but does not compile statistics specifically on age discrimination. It also has no data on the ages of those who submit them. Dainis Deigelis, lead expert in its strategic planning and data analysis unit, says the number of submissions on alleged breaches of the Labour Law's equal rights and non-discrimination provisions has risen in recent years.
- 2024: five submissions on Article 29 and 90 on Article 7;
- 2025: 13 and 143;
- first nine months of 2026: 18 and 137.
These figures do not relate only to age discrimination, and they do not mean violations were found in every case.
Options available
The VDI lists situations that may involve age discrimination: refusal to hire someone as too old or too young, dismissal or pressure to retire because of age, and lower pay or less responsible duties. If an employer refused to hire a candidate because of age without an objective reason, the candidate may go to court within three months of receiving the refusal (Article 34 of the Labour Law). Hiring cannot be forced, but compensation for losses and moral harm can be claimed.
