Published: 14.03.2020.

The unemployed person shall have the following rights:

  • the right to participate in the active employment measures provided for in the individual job search plan, taking into account the results of profiling, as well as to receive other services of the State Employment Agency (SEA);

  • the right to receive unemployment insurance services in accordance with the law On insurance for unemployment cases;

  • the right to receive a stipend/scholarship during vocational training, retraining and in-service training and during the acquisition of non-formal education;

  • the right to receive information on job vacancies and related qualification and other requirements;

  • the right to receive career counselling;

  • the right, upon presentation of an employment contract or reporting to the SEA on gaining income, to become an employee, or earn income as a self-employed person, twice in a 12-month period: 

    • until 31.12.2020., not exceeding 120 days in total,

    • from 01.01.2021., not exceeding 60 days in total,

The unemployed person shall have the following obligations:

  • the obligation to actively look for a job independently and with the help of the SEA and immediately after submitting the status of the unemployed to submit proposals for the development of the SEA's individual job search plan;

  • the obligation to arrive at the SEA on the day specified in the individual job search plan and present the documents specified in regulatory enactments;

  • the obligation to arrive at the SEA within three working days from the day of receipt of the invitation;

  • the obligation to participate in the activities provided for in the individual job search plan, including the completion of a job search diary;

  • Obligation to notify the SEA: 
    • within one working day, if the person no longer meets the following criteria referred to in Article 10, Part 1 of the Unemployed and Jobseeker Support Act: does not work (is not considered to be employed or self – employed under the law On state social insurance; the person is the owner of a micro-enterprise within the meaning of the Act on Micro-enterprise Tax, whose micro-enterprise has a turnover; the person is a self-employed person who earns income; the person is able to work and ready to enter into an employment relationship immediately; has not reached the age that gives the right to receive a state old-age pension or to which a state old-age pension has not been granted (been declined) (including prematurely); the person has not been admitted to the primary or secondary education program in person; the person does not perform commercial activities or his or her commercial activities have been suspended in accordance with regulatory enactments; is not in a place of imprisonment, except for serving a custodial sentence in an open prison or in a long-term social care or social rehabilitation institution, where the services are fully or partially financed from the state or local government budget.",
    • within one working day, if the status of an employee has been acquired for a period of up to two months in accordance with the law On state social insurance, 
    • within three weeks from the beginning of temporary incapacity to work – for the period of temporary incapacity for work, if it has been longer than 10 days.

Active job search within the meaning of the Unemployed and Jobseeker Support Act purposeful activities of a person for the purpose of finding a paid job – participation in competitions for vacancies, as well as other activities aimed at finding a job.


The SEA, in cooperation with the unemployed person, determines and offers him/her a suitable job:

Failure to appear before the State Employment Agency (SEA) shall be considered justified if:

  • the unemployed person has experienced temporary incapacity for work;

  • the unemployed person implements care of a sick child;

  • on the basis of a summons, the unemployed person is required to appear at an inquiry institution, prosecutor's office, court or participates in a court hearing as a juror;

  • the reason is the death of a first-degree relative or spouse, and if the date of the visit to the SEA is determined earlier than the seventh day after the date of death of such relative or spouse;

  • arrival is not possible due to participation in active employment measures or implementation of other measures/activities provided for in the individual job search plan;

  • in cases where there are other objective circumstances beyond the control of the unemployed person.

The unemployed person must arrive at the SEA on the first working day after the expiry of the above-mentioned justifying reasons, presenting a document confirming the justifying reasons.

  1. acquisition of the status of employed or self-employed for an indefinite period, excluding for the acquisition of this status twice in a 12-month period for a total period not exceeding 120 days, with the pre-requisite that acquisition has been  notified  to the State Employment Agency (SEA), and excluding involvement in active employment measures/activities;
  2. the owner of a micro-enterprise within the meaning of the Act on Micro-enterprise Tax, whose micro-enterprise has a turnover;
  3. gaining income if the person is self-employed or carries out an economic activity and pays a patent fee for it. 
  4. reaching the age that gives the right to receive a state old-age pension or the case of granting a state old-age pension (including prematurely); 
  5. entering a place of imprisonment or an institution of long-term social care or social rehabilitation, where the services are fully or partially financed from the state or local government budget;
  6. admission to the primary or secondary education program in person (in face to face or day department education); 
  7. refusal of a suitable job offer twice; 
  8. failure to perform the duties of an unemployed person without a justifiable reason; 
  9. providing false information for obtaining and maintaining the status of the unemployed; 
  10. moving to permanent residence outside the European Union, unless otherwise provided by international agreements binding on the Republic of Latvia; 
  11. loss of ability to work in the amount of 100 percent; 
  12. resumption of work by a court judgement or a court-approved settlement with the employer; 
  13. death of the unemployed person; 
  14. renunciation of the status of the unemployed by submitting a relevant notification to the SEA; 
  15. non-compliance of the person with the criteria referred to in Article 2 , Part 2 of the Unemployed and Jobseeker Support Act ;
  16. in case where three months have elapsed since the person holding the European Union Blue Card, has lost the status of an employee;
  17. in case where a person who is a holder of a European Union Blue Card has lost the status of an employee more than once.

For a person whose basis for loss of unemployment status has been the following aspects: 

  1. refusal of a suitable job offer twice;
  2. failure to perform the duties of an unemployed person without a justifiable reason;
  3. providing false information for obtaining and maintaining the status of the unemployed; 
  4. renunciation of the status of the unemployed by submitting a relevant notification to the SEA,
  5. such a person shall have the right to regain the status of the unemployed not earlier than after three months from the day when the decision on the loss of the status of the unemployed has been made.
     

Reminder to the recipient of unemployed person's status

  1. Unemployed person must notify the SEA in a timely manner of circumstances that affect a person's right to be unemployed.

  2. Unemployed person must notify the SEA in good time about acquiring the status of an employee or self-employed person.

  3. The unemployed person before leaving Latvia for another Member State of the European Union, a country of the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation for the purpose of seeking employment, shall appear at the SEA in order to immediately submit proposals for the development and updating of an individual job search plan.

  4. In case the unemployed person cannot come to the SEA on the date specified in the individual job search plan, the responsible employee must be contacted and it must be agreed to visit the SEA before the date specified in the individual job search plan.