RIGA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Latvia may need to consider hiring immigrants to address its growing labor shortage if the country cannot fully engage its local workforce in the job market for as long as possible, Welfare Minister Uldis Augulis has warned.
Augulis emphasized that the priority should be engaging local human resources, including individuals with disabilities, in the labor market, according to a report by Delfi.lv on Thursday.
He highlighted a concerning trend among young Latvians, noting that a significant proportion of them neither work nor study. According to a report issued by the Central Statistics Office last year, approximately 11.3 percent of Latvian youths aged 15 to 29 fall into this category.
It is important to conduct a census to determine how many young people are living abroad, working illegally, or are neither in education nor employment, Augulis said.
He also underscored the need to focus on remigration policies and create favorable working conditions for pensioners who wish to remain in the workforce. "Without a labor force, the economy cannot grow," he added.
Latvia's stance on immigrant labor has been evolving due to demographic challenges such as population decline, aging, and a shrinking domestic workforce. While Latvia has traditionally been cautious about immigration, these economic pressures may push the government toward more open policies to attract foreign workers in the future. ■
