Work in Riga — International Talent Attraction Initiative

Work in Riga is an initiative of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA), operating under the Riga City Council. Launched in 2021 in response to Latvia acute demographic challenge, the country lost approximately 17% of its population between 2000 and 2021, the platform targets remote workers, tech professionals, and diaspora returnees. The portal offers relocation packs (housing, schooling, banking guides), an English-language job board aggregating Riga vacancies, and a community calendar of expat integration events. Employer toolkits enable companies to brand Riga-based positions for international audiences. In 2022, Riga recorded 7,200 new third-country national registrations (Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia), up 18% year-on-year, with RITA attributing partial credit to the Work in Riga outreach. The programme is co-financed through EU Cohesion Funds (ERDF) with a committed budget through 2025. A reported 42 employer partners had joined by end-2022, including Accenture Latvia, Printful, and Tet. The initiative aligns with the Latvian National Development Plan 2021-2027 target of reversing net emigration.

Read the full analysis: https://www.workinriga.lv/