In summer 2020 the Ministry of Education and Science published first findings on tertiary education graduates’ monitoring data (2017).  First conclusions draw attention to the substantial fragmentation of tertiary institutions and study programs in certain domains, leading to an ‘overproduction’ of specialists, thus increasing the unemployment.  In direct terms, affecting the opportunities for young specialists to work in accordance with their qualifications.

The data shows that students in Latvia most often choose to study Social Sciences, Business administration and Law – almost one out of four graduates have this background field.  According to the medium- and long-term labor market forecasts of the Ministry of Economics, in 2022 there will be already a surplus of specialists – particularly the Social Sciences domain will significantly rise – while a shortage will become evident for specialists in Natural Sciences, ICT - Information and Communication Technologies and Engineering.

Data also validates that, particularly in the fields of study where the supply of higher education is higher than the demand in the labor market, there is a consequent higher unemployment rate among graduates, whom are more likely to work in lower-skilled professions.

Among other findings:

•    The majority (79%) graduated from public tertiary institutions, 21% graduated from private sector institutions; •    75% of private graduates were in Social Sciences, Business administration and Law; • 81% of graduates were employed a year after graduation (in 2018). • The average income of 2017 graduates was 22% higher than the average salary in 2018 in the country. •    Latvia has a particularly low proportion of graduates with doctoral degree (1% vs. 4% in Europe).

This monitoring data (in Latvian) is crucial for the development of effective policies for tertiary education, particularly in view of efficient allocation of public budget. This methodology of monitoring is compliant with the Council of the European Commission Recommendation (2017) on tracking graduates in EU Member States.

Source:  Eurydice Unit Latvia