Liepāja Residents Beat Statistics: 64.5% Work, the Rest Are Looking for a Good Café

The Central Statistical Bureau announced that the employment rate in Latvia has reached 64.5%, but as always, forgot to mention that in Liepāja this indicator has long exceeded all expectations. "I have three jobs - one at the port, another at the market, third at the tram depot," says Imants from the northern suburbs. "And I still play at a bar in the evenings. In Riga they'd call it stress, but for us it's everyday life."

Particularly interesting is that the statistics also mention 75-89 year-olds who are still working. In Liepāja this is no miracle - old fishermen at the port say that pension is just supplementary income. "How can I sit at home when the sea is waiting?" asks 78-year-old Marija, who still sells fish at the Central Market.

The side job statistics are also no surprise - 45,500 people across Latvia work additionally. In Liepāja almost everyone does it. "The main job is at a normal place, but with side work you can experiment," explains Jānis, who works at a bank during the day but leads the rock band "Karosta Blues" in the evenings.

While Riga worries about unemployment statistics, in Liepāja the problem is the opposite - there aren't enough hours in a day to manage all the jobs. "If there were 30 hours in a day, then I could take on something else," laughs café owner Inga, who also runs a hair salon and teaches dancing on the side.