🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹 Baltic Labour Market Snapshot: Stability with Structural Pressure

Labour market data for 2025–early 2026 show relative stability across the Baltics, but with clear structural differences between countries and demographic groups.

📊 Data Card

Estonia (2025, annual – Statistics Estonia)

Unemployment: 7.5%

Employment rate: 68.5%

Youth unemployment (15–24): 20.7%

Young men: 22.5%

Young women: 18.8%

Latvia (Dec 2025 – Central Statistical Bureau)

Actual unemployment: 7.1%

Men: 8.4%

Women: 5.8%

Total unemployed: 68,000

Lithuania (Feb 2026 – Employment Service)

Registered unemployment: 9%

Registered unemployed: 164,200

50+ unemployment: 10.7%

January group layoffs: 613 workers

🇪🇪 Estonia

Overall unemployment remained stable year-on-year. The key shift was among young men, where joblessness increased noticeably.

⚠️ Youth unemployment is calculated only among those participating in the labour force. Most students are not included, so the figure reflects first-job difficulty rather than total youth inactivity.

🇱🇻 Latvia

The most stable labour market in the region. No significant annual deterioration. However, the gender gap is pronounced — male unemployment remains structurally higher.

🇱🇹 Lithuania

The highest registered unemployment in the Baltics. January showed seasonal hiring recovery (+64% vacancies month-on-month), but also the largest January group layoffs since 2022. Age imbalance is visible, with elevated unemployment among 50+.

Structural Takeaways

No signs of sharp regional labour market deterioration.

Young men remain the most vulnerable segment.

Lithuania shows stronger regional and age disparities.

Latvia appears the most stable in annual comparison.

Inflation update for Estonia pending official release.

Image: photos/photo_202@16-02-2026_19-09-04.jpg