Youth Career Choices Clash with Economic Forecasts: New Survey

The survey, in which 4,881 young people from 152 Latvian schools and technical colleges participated, shows that high interest is concentrated in sectors with limited employment and growth potential. Approximately 19% of young people express a desire to work in the creative industries (art, design, music), although the share of these sectors in Latvia's gross domestic product (GDP) is only around 2-3%. 14% of young people plan a career in sports, while the sector's contribution to GDP is less than 1%. However, it would be simplistic to suggest that people's career choices should be governed primarily by what percentage of GDP their chosen field is likely to represent rather than reasons such as what they enjoy, what they happen to have a talent in, or what they feel would make the world a better place. At the same time, the study highlights what it calls "a particularly worrying trend - a decline in interest in sectors that are essential for economic growth and competitiveness". Compared to the previous year, young people's interest in entrepreneurship, finance and economics, as well as information and communication technologies (ICT) has decreased, despite the fact that these are precisely the areas where it is widely assumed that a rapid increase in demand is expected in the context of artificial intelligence and digitalization. The decline in interest in entrepreneurship may also threaten the formation of new companies and the capacity of the economy in the longer term. Manufacturing, which accounts for 13-14% of GDP, is of interest to only about 8% of young people, transport and logistics (GDP ~8-9%) - 7%, while the timber industry and forestry, which is one of the pillars of Latvia's exports (GDP ~6-7%), attract only 3% of young people. Energy, whose importance is growing both in the context of security and the green transition, also remains of low interest in young people's career plans. Lauris Mencis, Head of Swedbank Latvia, commented: “If the interests of young people do not follow the economic structure and investment directions for a long time, this will affect the growth of the entire country. Career education should help young people understand that a stable and meaningful career is also possible in sectors that currently seem less visible, but where there will be a high demand for talent. This is a question of Latvia's ability to maintain competitiveness in the long term and develop a high-value-added economy.” In addition to career choices, the study also highlights low confidence in making career decisions. Only around 40% of young people feel confident in their ability to make decisions about their future careers, which is below the OECD recommended level. At the same time, only 24% of young people have had a one-on-one conversation with a career counsellor at school or outside of school, meaning that most young people make their career decisions without professional support. "The survey data shows that young people are thinking about the future, but they often do not have enough information to make informed decisions. Career choices are increasingly based on interests, rather than an understanding of where jobs will be created and what skills will be in demand," said Zane Čulkstēna, head of the Latvian Education Accelerator, presenting the latest survey data. The data also shows that young people prefer hands-on career exploration, but opportunities are lacking. More than a third of young people indicate that they would prefer shadowing, internships or summer jobs, but almost half of young people who wanted an internship in the summer of 2025 did not get one due to a lack of offers.