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Factsheet for measure LV-2020-27/1723 Updated – measures in Latvia

Unemployment benefit for recent graduates

Jaunā speciālista pabalsts bezdarba gadījumā

Country Latvia , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 30 June 2020 – 30 June 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Income protection beyond short-time work
– Income support for unemployed
Author Kriss Karnitis (EPC) and Eurofound
Measure added 17 January 2021 (updated 16 November 2021)

Background information

On 30 June 2020, the Government allocated grants to the Ministry of Welfare for the new benefit prepared by the Ministry. The new benefit is intended to support so called 'new specialists': – persons who have completed their studies, and are unemployed due to COVID-19 pandemic. The government has decided to introduce the benefit because the short length of service prevents graduates from receiving unemployment benefits.

Content of measure

The aim of the benefit is to support the new specialists, who have completed their studies at a higher education institution or college during the year prior to the declaration of the state of emergency due to COVID-19 pandemic and have acquired the status of unemployed during the state of emergency or within three months after its end.

The new specialist benefit is paid until the person loses the status of unemployed, but not longer than four months and not longer than until 31 December 2020:

for the first two months in the amount of €500, in the third and fourth months in the amount of €375.

The allocated budget is €6,597,401.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

18 December 2020

On 18 December 2020 the Government extended the availability of the measure until 30 June 2021. With this, the criteria regarding time frames were also changed. The benefit is granted to a person who:

  • in the period from 9 November 2019 to 8 November 2020 has graduated from a university or college;
  • in the period from 9 November 2020 to 6 April 2021 (inclusive) or three months after the end of the emergency situation has acquired the status of unemployed.

Use of measure

In total 94 persons received benefit in 2020, of those 70 were female and 24 were male. €145 thousand were spent for the benefit in 2020. In 2021 376 persons received benefit, of those 279 were female and 97 were male. €132 thousand were spent for the benefit in 2021.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Unemployed
Does not apply to businesses Other groups of citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No specific views to report.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2021), Unemployment benefit for recent graduates, measure LV-2020-27/1723 (measures in Latvia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/LV-2020-27_1723.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.