Latvia’s statutory minimum wage is €780 a month in 2026, and overtime is paid with a bonus of at least 100%. 78.2% of people aged 20–64 have a job, more than the EU average. Employers look especially for ICT specialists, engineers, construction and metal trades workers and health professionals – and for most jobs you need Latvian.
Latvia is a country of 1.8 million people on the Baltic Sea with an employment rate above the EU average: 78.2% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).
Unemployment has stayed at about the same level for years – 6.9% in 2022, 6.5% in 2023 and 6.9% in 2024 and 2025. That is above the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment is slightly lower than in the EU as a whole: 14.8% among people aged 15–24, compared with 15.2%.
As an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you do not need a work permit – you have free access to the Latvian labour market. What you do need for most jobs is Latvian: it is the only official state language, and EURES advises that adequate knowledge of Latvian is necessary when you apply for a job.
Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.
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