SEA intensifies efforts to reduce unemployment

RIGA - To find new jobs for the unemployed, the State Employment Agency (SEA) has intensified its efforts by 20 percent, newly-appointed SEA Director Inese Kalvane said in an interview with business portal Nozare.lv

The agency's cooperation with employers in personnel selection has achieved a half of last year's results by this past April, explained Kalvane.

Nearly 8,000 job seekers have already participated in the agency's personal selection this year, compared to 11,355 job seekers taking part in 1,652 personnel selection processes in June-December 2011. According the State Revenue Service's data, 93,000 SEA clients found jobs last year. "The agency's efforts have intensified by 20 percent and we will continue to operate like this," said Kalvane.

Kalvane was cautious regarding her hopes to reduce the registered unemployment level in Latvia to a single-digit number, but pointed out that, to achieve this, the number of unemployed must drop below 100,000. According to the agency's data, there are currently 122,000 people without jobs in Latvia.