Latvia: Businesses urge government to ease entry of foreign labour

Latvian businesses urge the government to ease the rules on the entry of foreign labour into the country, LSM reports. Speaking at a conference on human capital development in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, business representatives and market analysts noted that Latvia’s human resources were exhausted. They called for improving labour availability through relaxed rules on the registration of guest workers, increased retraining for the unemployed, promoting employment among young people, and encouraging remigration. Skilled labour continues to leave Latvia, while foreign specialists are concerned over schooling, health care, and basic rights. Economy Minister Viktors Valainis said that he would soon propose new measures to help attract more foreign labour.