Skilled and motivated talent pool

The Latvian labor force is multi-lingual, well educated, ready to take on new challenges, and highly motivated. Countries with better-trained or better-motivated workforces than Latvia are few and far between. Latvians take pride in having strong work ethics that are integral to Northern European culture.

Higher education

The Latvian labour force has one of the highest rates of university attendance in the world. In 2022/2023, 75.4 thousand students were attending 52 higher education institutions, 2 of which are branches of foreign universities. Female students were 57.6% of the total amount of students admitted.

The four largest universities – Riga Technical University, University of Latvia, Riga Stradins University and the Latvia University of Agriculture – enroll more than half of the students of Latvia. Latvia is 2nd in the world according to the number of females obtaining master's degree (Education at a Glance, 2022). Latvia’s research institutes specialize in fields as diverse as radio astronomy, life sciences, physics, logistics and telecommunications. 

Technical and vocational skills

The main university for technical sciences is Riga Technical University. In Latvia, more than 10 413 students are studying in higher education programs of engineering, electronics, metalworking, etc. and 9 480 in vocational education programs.

Cultural and language skills

Latvia's historical context plays a pivotal role in equipping our workforce with the essential comprehension of business and cultural norms, enabling fruitful collaborations with both CIS partners and Western European countries. As per findings from Eurobarometer research, Latvia secures the 2nd position among European nations in terms of the percentage of residents who, alongside their native language, possess competence in at least one foreign language. Remarkably, 95% exhibit proficiency in a minimum of two foreign languages, marking the highest attainment. Additionally, 13% are adept in at least three foreign languages. Furthermore, 44% of respondents acknowledge utilizing a foreign language in their daily routines—be it at work or in personal settings.

Training incentives

Latvia’s government recognizes the importance of training programs for improving the skills of the workforce, and thus offers various incentives for employers to provide training to potential hires and current employees.
 

Contacts

Riga office

Address: 2 Perses Street, Riga, Latvia, LV-1442
Web: www.investinlatvia.org
For more information: invest@liaa.gov.lv
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