Java Developer Hiring Trends in Riga, Latvia

This report was last updated on Sep 6, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The Software Java Engineers job market in Latvia's capital, Riga, presents both opportunities and challenges for hiring managers, with a total talent pool size that is currently limited relative to the high number of job openings.
During the past three months, Riga has experienced a peak of 31 new Software Java Engineer positions opened in a single week, although the average number varies significantly from week to week, indicating an overall positive trend amidst fluctuations.
The demand for Mid-Senior level talent is evident, as these positions constitute 53% of the available job offerings, which may influence recruitment strategies for CTOs and Engineering Managers focused on developing their teams with experienced candidates.
Riga dominates the Software Java job market in Latvia, accounting for 92% of total job openings, with 2,875 positions available, making it the central hub for recruitment in the tech industry.
The median time to hire Software Engineers in Latvia is reported at 32 days, reflecting a competitive landscape where 310 positions are filled within the initial 30 days, emphasizing the need for effective and timely recruitment strategies.

Number of roles opened and closed for Java Engineers in Riga in the last 3 months

In the past 12 weeks, the Software Java Engineering job market in Latvia's capital, Riga, has demonstrated notable fluctuations. With a peak of 31 new positions opened in week 29, this surge contrasts with a more moderate weekly average in the preceding weeks. Conversely, job closures have also been significant, with a high of 11 positions closing in week 35. This results in an overall positive trend towards new openings, although the net gain of jobs has varied greatly week to week. Compared to other regions in Europe, the demand for Software Java Engineers in Riga reflects regional hiring practices and an emerging trend that hiring managers, including CTOs and Engineering Managers, should consider when developing their recruitment strategies.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Latvia:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	174
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	96
Luminor Group	Estonia	Banking	2017	32
Paula Stradiņa Klīniskā universitātes slimnīca	Latvia	Hospital & Health Care	1910	24
Ruby Labs	United States	Information Technology & Services	2018	20
Circle K	Canada	Retail	1951	19
Ubiquiti Inc.	United States	Information Technology & Services	2005	16
Accenture Baltics	null	null	null	15
Sapiens	Israel	Information Technology & Services	1982	15
TSMG Holding	Poland	Outsourcing/offshoring	2018	15

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Latvia

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Latvia

The current talent market for Software Java Engineers in Europe reveals significant discrepancies among various countries. In Latvia, the job openings for Software Java Engineers are notably high, with a limited talent pool, resulting in a challenging hiring landscape. Compared to neighboring countries such as Estonia and Lithuania, where the talent pool is more robust relative to the number of job openings, Latvia experiences a higher jobs-to-talent ratio, indicating increased competition for available talent. Furthermore, countries like Poland, with a greater number of job openings and a substantial talent pool, present an even more demanding environment for recruitment. Consequently, hiring managers in Latvia must adopt effective recruitment strategies to attract skilled Software Java Engineers in this tight market.

Seniority distribution of Java Engineer job openings in Riga

Seniority Distribution of Java Engineering Jobs in Riga

The seniority distribution of Software Java Engineering jobs in Latvia Riga reveals that the Mid-Senior level positions dominate the market, accounting for 53% of available roles. Entry level positions follow, comprising 27% of the job offerings, while Associate roles make up 8%. This distribution indicates a strong demand for Mid-Senior level talent, which is crucial for hiring managers to consider in their recruitment strategies.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Latvia

In Latvia, the employment type distribution for Software Java Engineers reveals a significant preference for full-time roles, which account for 93% of available positions. Contract employment follows at 7%, while part-time roles represent a minimal 3%. This data highlights the strong demand for stable, full-time Software Java Engineer positions in Riga, underscoring the need for targeted recruitment strategies by CTOs and hiring managers in the tech sector.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Latvia

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software jobs in Latvia reveals significant insights into the hiring landscape, particularly for Software Java Engineers. A notable 310 positions are filled within 30 days, indicative of a competitive market for Software Java Developers in Latvia's capital, Riga. The distribution suggests that while 25% of candidates are hired within 20 days, there is a substantial pool of candidates being evaluated for longer periods, with over 100 candidates taking up to 60 days to secure a position. This trend highlights the importance of understanding recruitment strategies for CTOs navigating the fast-evolving tech sector in Latvia, particularly as competition for Senior Software Java Developers intensifies.

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Most popular cities in Latvia to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Latvia to hire Software Engineers

In the Software Java Engineers job market in Latvia, Riga stands out as the leading city, accounting for 92% of the total job openings. The capital has 2,875 relevant positions, making it the focal point for software development opportunities in the region. In comparison, the lesser-known city of Mārupe contributes only 1% with 36 openings, while Daugavpils lags behind at just 0.8% with 23 positions, as illustrated in the attached chart.

Most sought after technologies in Riga for Java

Key technologies for Java Engineers

In the current Software Java job market, particularly in Latvia's capital, Riga, certain technologies are showing significant prominence. Java remains the cornerstone technology with a frequency of 9,117 mentions, underscoring its critical role in software development. Supporting frameworks such as Spring and Spring Boot follow closely, with frequencies of 2,042 and 2,281 respectively, reflecting their importance in building scalable applications. Moreover, the demand for Microservices architecture, with a frequency of 2,380, indicates a shift towards modular application development. This data is further illustrated in the accompanying chart, which showcases the prevalence of these technologies in the market.

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