Lithuania’s unemployment rate fell to 8.1% at the start of May, down from 8.5% the previous month. The number of unemployed people decreased by 8,400 to 146,700, according to the Lithuanian Employment Service.

Labour Market Recovery

Demand for workers and recruitment activity remained strong in April, continuing the positive trend that began in March. Employment Service analyst Audronė Butkienė noted that higher demand for workers had increased the flow of people returning to the labour market. More than 20,000 clients found jobs in April alone — similar to March — and unemployment declined across all municipalities for the second consecutive month.

Record Number of Job Openings

Employers registered 16,000 vacancies in April — the highest monthly figure in the past 12 months and approximately 1.5 times higher than during the November–February period.

The most vacancies were posted in:

• Manufacturing — 3,100 positions
• Trade — 2,200 positions
• Construction — 1,800 positions
• Transport — 1,300 positions
• Hospitality and catering — 1,200 positions
• Healthcare and social care — 900 positions
• Education and agriculture — 600 positions each

Employment Growth

The total number of employed people in Lithuania reached 1.46 million, an increase of 5,400 (0.37%) compared to the previous month. The largest employment gains were recorded in construction and healthcare and social work (800 jobs each), followed by accommodation and catering (+500) and agriculture (+300).

Employment declined in manufacturing (-300), information and communication (-200), public administration and defence (-200), and financial and insurance activities (-100).

Regional Differences

Unemployment fell across all Lithuanian municipalities. The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in:

• Neringa — 3%
• Birštonas — 4.9%
• Joniškis district — 5.6%

The highest unemployment rates were registered in Anykščiai and Ignalina districts (11.3%), followed by Kalvarija and Zarasai district (11%).

The data points to a clear revival of the Lithuanian labour market in spring 2025, though regional disparities remain evident.