Latvia - Primary Industries Employment

For Latvia, the labor force survey (LFS) results include status measures by age and sex, and employment by branch of economic activity.

• Measurements:
  • Thousands of persons (Ths. #)
  • Percentage (%)
• Adjustment: Not seasonally adjusted (NSA) 
• Native frequency: Quarterly
• Start date: As early as 1995Q1

Coming into force on 1 January 2021, "Integration of European Social Statistics" aims to harmonize social statistics that are based on sample surveys, which includes labor force surveys that supply high-frequency, low-lag measures of labor force status and employment by industry. (The regulation is also known as IESS, "Framework Regulation for the production of European statistics on persons and households," and Regulation (EU) 2019/1700.)

The source writes:

Definitions

Active population (labor force)

Active population consists of persons of both sexes who in the reference period offered their work for the production of goods and services. Active population consists of employed persons and non-working persons actively seeking a job (both those who are registered with the State Employment Agency and those who are not).

Inactive population

Persons of both sexes irrespective of their age including persons under working age who can be classified neither as employed nor unemployed (housewives, non-working disabled persons, students of working age who neither are in work nor seeking, non working pensioners, etc.).

Employed population

Acording to the ILO definition employed population is all persons who during the reference week did any work for cash payment or compensation in goods or services. Self-employed persons with a business, farm or those who are undergoing professional practice are also considered as employed. Persons who are in temporary absence from work due to the prenatal or maternity leave, as well as, due to the childcare leave of up to 3 months duration, are classified as employed, if after the end of the leave their return to the previous work is guaranteed. The number of employed includes also those persons who are working to produce goods for own consumption, and their work is an important source of livelihood for the person or the family.

Activity rate

Rate of active population to the total population, in percent.

Employment rate

Rate of employed to the total population, in percent.

Unemployed persons (both registered and not-registered with the State Employment Agency)

Persons aged 15-74 years, whether registered at the State Employment Agency (SEA) or not and who meet the following three conditions simultaneously:

1. during the reference week neither worked nor were temporary absent from work;
2. had actively sought employment during the past 4 weeks (with the methods listed in the survey questionnaire);
3. in case of finding a job, were available to start work immediately (within the next 2 weeks). Persons who already had found a job and will start up later within a period of three months are also classified as unemployed.

Unemployed persons with previous working experience

Unemployed who ever been employed, excluding those, who have had odd jobs (inconstant or irregular jobs where they worked only a few days or weeks without continuous job guarantees).

Unemployed without previous working experience

Unemployed persons who have never been employed.

Long-term unemployed persons

Those who have been without work for 12 months or longer, are actively seeking for a job and are ready to start working within the next 2 weeks.

Unemployment rate

Rate of unemployed to the active population, in percent.

Employee (worker)

Person who does some work (work in a family farm, professional practice or enterprise inclusive) for pay or profit (in cash, goods or services) to the person or family.

Employer (owner)

Person who works in own business, professional practice or farm, professional practice or farm for the purpose of earning a profit and who employ one or more employees.

Self-employed

Person who works in own business, professional practice or farm for the purpose of earning a profit and who does not employ any other persons.

Unpaid family worker in a family business, professional practice or farm

Worker in a relative–owned enterprise or farm, unpaid, but bringing benefit to the family.

Main job

The job a person usually works the majority of working hours per week. Included are all overtime hours and working hours worked outside the work place but in order to perform the work tasks (for example, at home if there is an agreement between the employer and employee on performing the work tasks outside the work place). Excluded are those hours that are worked in other jobs. For a half-time two-job holder, the main job is the one where the person has the taxpayer’s book.

Second job

All those activities that are not related to the main job but given extra income.

Full-time workers

Persons who are full-time employed (employees) or usually work at least 40 hours per week (employers, self-employed), as well as employees of some special categories with shortened labour time (teachers, physicians etc.) who consider themselves as full-time employed.

Part-time workers

Persons who are part-time employed (employees) or usually work less than 40 hours per week, excluding those who consider themselves to be employed full-time irrespective of the number of their working hours.

Kind of economic activity

Sphere of activity of the enterprise or individual that expresses itself in the produced goods or services. The type is determined by Standard Classification of Economic Activities (NACE 1.1.rev., starting with 2008 – NACE 2.rev). In 2008 and 2009 the data was published according to NACE 1.1. and NACE 2. In 2010 in selected sectors (C, G, L, N, O, Q according to NACE Rev. 2), basing on sector statistics information, experts’ evaluation is published.

Primary sector

Sector of raw material acquisition and agriculture, sections A to B according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 1.1.) and section A according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev.2.).

Secondary sector

Production sector, sections C to F according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 1.1.) and sections B to F according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev.2.).

Tertiary sector

Service provision sector, sections G to Q according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 1.1.) and sections G to U according to Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev.2.).

Occupation or positions

Occupations in Latvian economy according to the Latvian Classification of Occupations.

Actual working hours

The number of hours actually worked during the reference week (including idle time, rest time, overtime, and the number of hours worked outside the working place in order to perform the working tasks).

Worked at home

Work, carried out by person, who completely or partly is working at home, for this purpose often allocating part of the dwelling–place.

Work or part of the work, which employees are doing at home because of the personal interest or lack of time, but which according to labour contract is not intended to be done at home, is not considered as worked at home.

Worked in evenings

Work, which is carried out between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. at least 2 hours.

Worked at nights

Work, which is carried out after 10 p.m. at least 2 hours.

Worked on Saturday

Work which according to work place official regulations of an establishment or labour contract is done on Saturday.

Work or part of the work, which employees on their own initiative do at home or at work place also on Saturdays, is not considered as worked on Saturday.

Worked on Sunday

Work which according to work place official regulations of an establishment or labour contract is done on Sunday.

Work or part of the work, which employees on their own initiative do at home or at work place also on Sundays, is not considered as worked on Sunday.

Territorial breakdown by place of residence of the respondent

Urban area

Administrative territory, to which municipal status is granted. The list of urban areas (cities, central district towns, other towns) is confirmed by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Rural area

Administrative territory, to which no municipal status is granted.

Statistical regions

Riga

Riga city

Pieriga

Jurmala; Limbaži, Ogre, Riga and Tukums districts

Vidzeme

Aluksne, Cesis, Gulbene, Madona, Valka and Valmiera districts

Kurzeme

Liepaja and Ventspils cities; Kuldiga, Liepaja, Saldus, Talsi and Ventspils districts

Zemgale

Jelgava city; Aizkraukle, Bauska, Dobele, Jelgava and Jekabpils districts

Latgale

Daugavpils and Rezekne cities; Balvi, Daugavpils, Kraslava, Ludza, Preili and Rezekne districts

Source of data

The source of data is the CSB Labour Force Survey (LFS) that was first organised in November 1995 and until 2001 took place twice a year – in May and November. Beginning in 2002 the survey is taken every week throughout the whole year.

The objective of the LFS is to obtain detailed information about the situation on the labour market in Latvia, i.e. activity of the population.

The survey is carried out by way of interviewing persons aged 15-74 years who are living within the household (prior to 2001 persons aged 15 years and over). The questionnaires contain relevant questions characterising the activity of the population; these questionnaires were prepared in accordance with the internationally approved methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) specifically in the area of labour force surveys that ensures comparability of information with other countries. The LFS provides information on the number of population including the active population (employed and unemployed) broken down by various characteristics (sex, age, education qualification, place of residence, employment status, etc.).

Sample size

From 2002-2006 – 10,296 households per year, from 2007 – 24,128 households per year.

Description of data

All questions of the survey refer to the reference week, that is, the calendar week from Monday to Sunday prior to the day of the interview.

Classification

For the classification of LFS data the following classifications are used:

• Statistical Classification of Economic Activities NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2;
• Classification of Administrative Territories and Territorial Units of the Republic of Latvia CATTU;
• Classification of Occupations of the Republic of Latvia based on the International Standardised Classification of Occupations ISCO;
• National Classification of Education of the Republic of Latvia, which is aligned with the International Standard Classification of Education ISCED.

Changes

From 1 January 2021 the LFS has implemented new EU framework regulation Regulation 2019/1700 (IESS). This change is noted in the metadata of the series as: [Break in framework from 2021Q1].

Moody's Analytics supplements

For the quarterly unemployment and employment, we compute seasonally adjusted counterparts. We calculate unemployment rate and labor force as identities.

Further reading

At the source:

• Dead link

At Eurostat:

• RAMON Eurostat's Metadata Server