Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Latvia (Ratification: 1992)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2013 containing detailed information in reply to the 2011 direct request. It notes from the report that the gradual increase of economic activities positively affected the situation in the labour market, in particular through the decrease of registered unemployment from 11.5 per cent in 2012 to 9.9 per cent in May 2013. In 2012, the unemployment rate (as measured by Eurostat) decreased from 16.2 per cent in 2011 to 14.9 per cent. The number of economically non-active inhabitants has also continued to decrease between 2011 and 2012, from 567,000 to 533,000. It also notes the indicators which demonstrate a reduction in concerning registered employment and an increase in the number of violations of non-registered unemployment discovered by the State Labour Inspectorate. The Government indicates that the main objectives of the National Reform Programme and the Europe 2020 strategy are to: increase investments in research and development; achieve an employment rate of 73 per cent; reduce the number of young people who have not completed compulsory schooling; and reduce the number of persons subject to poverty or exclusion risks. Moreover, the Committee notes that the Employment Policy Coordination Council has been established in order to promote coordination of employment policy directions and improve results. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the employment measures implemented in the framework of the National Reform Programme targeting vulnerable categories of workers, including women, young persons, older workers and the long-term unemployed. Please also provide updated labour market data on the level and trends of employment, unemployment, underemployment and employment in the undeclared economy.

Regional Development. The Committee notes the significant differences in respect of employment rates among regions of Latvia, ranging from 60.3 per cent in Riga to 49.6 per cent in Latgale. It further notes that a Latvian-Swiss cooperation programme to support the development of youth initiatives in peripheral and disadvantaged regions is being implemented. The Committee invites the Government to include information on the impact of the regional development policies adopted to generate employment in low-income areas.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that the Government is addressing the main underlying causes of youth unemployment – that is low education levels and lack of experience among this category of the population – through youth employment measures. The Government indicates that the improvement of active labour market policy measures and the promotion of formal and informal education among young people facilitated the achievement of the main employment objectives of the Youth policy guidelines for 2009–18 which are to provide support for youth employment and promote integration of unemployed youth in the labour market. The Committee invites the Government to provide further information on the outcomes of the Youth policy guidelines for 2009–18 in terms of improving the accessibility of young persons to the labour market and their ability to find lasting and productive employment.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the involvement of the employers’ and workers’ organizations in the development of proposals and in discussions concerning employment and education issues, in entrepreneurship and in various projects regarding labour, employment and social dialogue and social partners’ capacity building. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the consultations held with the social partners concerning the formulation and implementation of employment policies and programmes.