RIGA, May 6 (LETA) - As summer approaches and the opportunity to work seasonal jobs becomes available, the registered unemployment rate in Latvia, as usual, continues to decrease, Evita Simsone, Director of the State Employment Agency (NVA), told the Latvian Television.

She informed that currently the registered unemployment rate in the country is 4.7 percent of the economically active population. According to the NVA data, at the end of March the rate was 4.9 percent and at the end of February - 5.2 percent. Thus, over the last month or so, the registered unemployment rate in Latvia has fallen by 0.2 percentage points.

On May 5, 41,507 people were registered as unemployed in Latvia, according to the latest NVA data.

As Simsone commented on television, the decrease in registered unemployment is linked to the start of seasonal work in sectors such as agriculture, construction, peat extraction and others.

The number of vacancies is currently just under 10,000 and the range of in-demand occupations is very wide, but the most sought-after jobs are in medium and low-skilled jobs in construction, manufacturing and trade, the NVA director said, noting that vacancies in this segment are usually high due to high staff turnover.

At the same time, vacancies are also available in higher-skilled positions, including in the financial sector, Simsone added.

Asked to comment on the unemployment rate by region, the head of the NVA said that Latgale has the highest unemployment rate, but at the same time Latgale has experienced a relatively higher drop in unemployment.

As reported, at the end of March there were 43,909 registered unemployed and 10,966 vacancies in Latvia.

At the end of last year, the registered unemployment rate in Latvia was 5 percent of the economically active population.