Lack of skilled workers, emigration major challenges to Lithuania's labor market: presidential adviser

Lack of qualified workers has increasingly undermined Lithuania's competitiveness while emigration remains one of the major challenges to the government, Lina Antanaviciene, adviser on economy issues to Lithuania's President, said on Tuesday.

In an interview with local radio broadcaster Ziniu Radijas, Antanaviciene said more than 13 percent of local companies complained about the lack of qualified workers while the country's average unemployment rate stands at 8 percent.

As a result, Lithuania is seeing faster growth of salaries than productivity, said Antanaviciene, who believes it will weaken the country's competitiveness.

Meanwhile, the adviser noted emigration remains one of the risks in terms of labor market imbalances.

"We need to address those who have already left our country, by creating a sustainably growing economy, creating new jobs, trying to attract new investments and seeking to prevent others from emigration," said Antanaviciene.

But she does not expect a solution to the challenge in the short term.

"If a few years ago we took the investment attraction for granted, now we all understand that investments have to be hunted by professionals, there have to be special institutions established for this purpose," said Antanaviciene.

According to International Organization for Migration Vilnius office (IOM Vilnius), emigration flows were on decline between 2011 and 2014, but soared again in 2015 and 2016.

The IOM found that though economic reasons are major concerns of the emigrators, a combination of factors, including lack of social security and justice, no trust in the state, demeaning attitude of employers toward employees as well as better work opportunities abroad, also matter. Endit