| 18 May 2007 About 200 thousand people may leave Latvia during the next ten years in search for a better destiny. This figure was announced by Sylvia Bendrate, head of the Social Affairs Commission, Baltic Assembly, at the conference entitled “Human resources development under labor migration” that was held 18-19 May 2007 in Sigulda, Latvia. Participants of the conference, which was held on the Baltic Assembly’s initiative, shared their experience of encouraging the compatriots, who left for abroad, to return home. According to research results, 10-16 thousand people will be emigrating from Latvia every year in the future. Latvian representatives provided the conference with the data that already 86,000 Latvians had already left for the EU states to study or work. Surveys among those working in Ireland showed that 10% are not going to come back, 80% consider such an option, and only 10% surely intend to return home. Reports on the situation of labor migration in their countries were made to the conference by foreign ministers of Estonia -Urmas Paet, Lithuania – Pyatras Vajtekunas, and Latvia – Atis Pabriks. The Latvian MFA chief noted that discussion of the labor market situation in the Baltic States was for the first time held at such a high level. The minister also provided brief description of the Latvian situation saying that the sharpest issue for his country is shortage of low-skilled workers. Urmas Paet said that Estonia’s two top problems include lack of properly qualified workers in some industries, and a negative fertility-mortality balance although his country consistently implements a family support policy. Lithuania’s foreign minister voiced some fear about social polarization and intellectual capacity decrease that might result in decline of people’s general cultural level.
| 
