In the private sector, there were 17.8 thousand and in the public sector 10.4 thousand job vacancies. Over the year number of job vacancies in the private sector grew by 3.5 thousand or 24.6 % and in the public sector by 3.1 thousand or 41.4 %.
Out of the total number of jobs in Latvia (both occupied and vacant), 3.1 % of positions were vacant, of which 3.6 % were in the public sector and 2.9 % were in the private sector.
Compared to the first quarter of 2021, in the first quarter of 2022, the average number of occupied posts in the country dropped by 26.8 thousand or 3.0 %. In the private sector, it fell by 16.8 thousand or 2.7 %, and in the public sector by 10.1 thousand or 3.5 %.
In terms of major occupational groupings, the highest share of job vacancies was recorded among craft and related trades workers (5.0 %), skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (4.9 %), as well as technicians and associate professionals (4.1 %).
In terms of economic activities, the largest share of job vacancies was recorded in public administration (7.4 %), followed by mining and quarrying (7.1 %), accommodation and food service activities (4.1 %), manufacturing (3.8 %), construction, transportation and storage, as well as information and communication (3.6 %).
Among the three Baltic states, the greatest proportion of job vacancies in the 1st quarter of 2022 was recorded in Latvia – 3.1 %, followed by Estonia with 2.1 % and Lithuania with 2.0 %.
In the 1st quarter of 2022, compared to the corresponding period of 2021, the sharpest rise in the job vacancy number – of 38.5 % – was observed in Estonia, followed by 30.3 % in Latvia and 28.3 % in Lithuania.
