Unemployment Benefits in Latvia
Insured people who lose their job can get unemployment benefit from the State Social Insurance Agency for 8 months, after registering as unemployed with the State Employment Agency. Low-income households can get the guaranteed minimum income from their municipality.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA)
The job market in Latvia
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Latvia 120th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Latvia's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Apply for Unemployment benefit (Bezdarbnieka pabalsts): apply to the State Social Insurance Agency in person, by post, by e-signed email, by e-application, or at a State Employment Agency branch when requesting unemployed status. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- See whether you can get Guaranteed minimum income (GMI). Official page
Unemployment benefit (Bezdarbnieka pabalsts)
Who can get it. Granted unemployed status by the State Employment Agency, socially insured for at least 1 year, with contributions paid for at least 12 months in the last 16 months.
How much. 50% (1 to 9 years of insurance), 55% (10 to 19), 60% (20 to 29) or 65% (30 and more) of the average contribution wage; paid at 100% of the granted benefit for the first 2 months, 75% in months 3 to 4, 50% in months 5 to 6 and 45% in the last 2 months
For how long. 8 months
How to claim. Apply to the State Social Insurance Agency in person, by post, by e-signed email, by e-application, or at a State Employment Agency branch when requesting unemployed status.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
The unemployed must cooperate with the State Employment Agency and carry out the tasks in their individual plan.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Latvia
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Guaranteed minimum income (GMI)
Tops household income up to the GMI level (EUR 187 for a single person or first person, EUR 131 for each further person); apply at the municipal social service office, granted for 3 to 6 months.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Health cover between jobs
State-funded healthcare covers citizens and non-citizens of Latvia and their children, among others, independent of employment.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Latvia?
Yes: Unemployment benefit (Bezdarbnieka pabalsts), paid by State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA).
How much is unemployment benefit in Latvia?
50% (1 to 9 years of insurance), 55% (10 to 19), 60% (20 to 29) or 65% (30 and more) of the average contribution wage; paid at 100% of the granted benefit for the first 2 months, 75% in months 3 to 4, 50% in months 5 to 6 and 45% in the last 2 months
How long does unemployment benefit last in Latvia?
8 months
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Latvia?
Apply to the State Social Insurance Agency in person, by post, by e-signed email, by e-application, or at a State Employment Agency branch when requesting unemployed status.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Latvia?
The unemployed must cooperate with the State Employment Agency and carry out the tasks in their individual plan.
Nearby countries
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
Guernsey
Iceland
Ireland
Isle of Man
Jersey
Lithuania
Norway
Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Sweden
United Kingdom
Åland Islands
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Latvia's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.