The number of employers who plan to hire new employees has decreased during the year, according to the survey

According to the company survey conducted by the recruitment company "CV-Online Latvia" in January of this year, more than a third or 36% of employers planned to hire new employees in 2023 Compared to the results of the survey a year ago, the number of such employers has decreased by 18%, while with August - increased by 4%.

The results of the employers' survey show that this year every third or 34% of employers have not planned any changes in the number of employees, 18% plan to both hire and fire employees, 4% have anticipated a reduction in the number of employees, and 9% of employers had not yet made a decision in January of this year The greatest demand for labor this year is expected to be in the information and communication technology (ICT) and trade sectors, where employers are more optimistic than a year ago.

A high demand for employees is also expected in the manufacturing, financial and construction sectors At the same time, half of the employers cite the expansion of the company's operations and the increase in the volume of work as the main reason for attracting new employees, while a fourth - the expected turnover of employees.

Employers who have not planned changes in the number of personnel mainly justify it by the desire to use existing employee resources more efficiently Regarding the availability of labor, a significant number of employers, 60%, admit that finding employees has become more difficult in the last year, there are fewer applications and available talent, which is a slightly lower proportion of pessimistic companies than a year ago.

On the other hand, regarding this year, 40% of companies expect that the situation in the field of labor availability will not change, and the same number of companies also predict the situation will worsen The results of the survey lead to the conclusion that this year half or 51% of employers have planned a salary increase for their employees, most of whom plan to increase it by 5-10%.

Compared to the results of the survey a year ago, the number of such employers has decreased by 10%, while with August - increased by 14% At the same time, 40% of employers plan to keep their salaries unchanged this year, while 11% revealed that it will be both increased and decreased depending on the employee.

A quarter or 25% of employers have planned to increase the basket of additional benefits for their employees this year, while 45% will keep it at the current level More than a fifth of companies plan or have already started to provide additional financial support to employees during the heating season.

The priorities of employers' HR management this year will also be the improvement of employee well-being, skill development and digitalization The creation of an inclusive work environment and the introduction of equal pay in the company also remain increasingly important.

"Uncertainty in the geopolitical situation, economic stagnation and high inflation have lowered the desire of employers to attract new employees At the same time, there are signs that the bottom point is behind us and the situation is starting to improve a little in terms of employment.

The need to retain talent in your team and reduce inflation impact on the real income of employees, will contribute to the increase in wages and the expansion of the basket of additional benefits this year as well", says Aivis Brodiņš, head of "CV-Online Latvia" The employers' survey was conducted online in January 2023,.