Hourly labour costs in the Baltic States rose the fastest in Lithuania in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data, ELTA reported. Nominal hourly labour costs in the whole economy rose by 8.6% in Lithuania, 6.2% in Estonia, and 2.3% in Latvia from the first quarter of 2025. Hourly wage costs alone went…
Latvia’s central bank, the Bank of Latvia, has lowered its GDP forecast for 2026-2028 markedly, LSM reports. GDP growth will amount to 2.0% in 2026, to 2.4% in 2027, and to 3.0% in 2028, according to the latest forecast. In December 2025, the central bank had projected that the GDP would grow by 2.8% in…
The average monthly gross wage in Estonia amounted to EUR 2,135 in the first quarter of 2026, which was up 6.2% from the same period of 2025, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reported. Wages increased in all counties, rising by 6.5% to EUR 2,538 in Tallinn, by 6.3% to EUR 2,405 in Harjumaa county, and…
The average monthly gross wage in Latvia amounted to EUR 1,831 in the first quarter of 2026, which was an increase of EUR 73 (4.2%) from the same period of 2025, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reported. The average wage rose by 4.6% in the public sector and 4.1%…
Latvia’s GDP totalled EUR 9.9bn at current prices in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reported. Compared to the same period of 2025, the GDP rose by 2.5% at constant prices, according to seasonally and calendar non-adjusted data. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, the…
Lithuania’s GDP will grow by 3.2% in 2026 and 2.1% in 2027, according to SEB Bank’s latest macroeconomic forecast, Lietuvos Rytas reports. The bank thus kept its GDP forecast unchanged from January 2026. The bank raised its projection for annual inflation in Lithuania to 5.7% in 2026 due to increased energy prices. In 2027, inflation…
Lithuania’s GDP will grow by 3% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027, according to Swedbank’s latest macroeconomic outlook, BNS reports. In January 2026, the bank projected that GDP growth would reach 3.5% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027. Nerijus Maciulis, Swedbank’s chief economist, said that growth would be spurred by consumption, strong exports, and record…
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has passed amendments that will make it easier to bring skilled and qualified foreign labour into the country, ERR reports. Temporary residence permits for work will be issued under more favourable conditions in sectors deemed suffering from labour shortage, and the maximum number of permits in those sectors will be…
The Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS) has proposed raising the country’s minimum monthly wage by at least EUR 55 to EUR 835 in 2027, LETA reports. Currently, Latvia’s minimum wage stands at EUR 780 per month, while the tax-free income threshold is EUR 550 per month. LBAS noted that under government rules, the…