Java Developer Hiring Trends in Riga, Latvia

This report was last updated on Aug 17, 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 Engineer job market in Latvia, particularly in Riga, has seen fluctuating activity over the past 12 weeks, with a peak of 31 new job openings in week 29, indicating a surge in demand for Software Java Developers.
Currently, Latvia's software development sector is characterized by a competitive landscape for hiring Software Java Engineers, as evidenced by a job-to-talent pool ratio that suggests a need for strategic recruitment efforts from hiring managers.
Riga stands out as the primary hub for Software Engineer roles, with 92% of job openings concentrated in the capital, which translates to 2,590 positions, making it the top city for hiring Software Java Engineers in Latvia.
The median time to hire for Software Engineers in Latvia is 28 days, with a significant number of hires being processed within 30 to 50 days, indicating a moderate recruitment pace that hiring managers should consider when planning their strategies.
The seniority distribution of Software Java Engineer roles reveals that mid-senior level positions dominate the job market, accounting for approximately 55% of openings, highlighting the emphasis on experienced talent in the hiring trends within Latvia's tech sector.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the Software Java Engineer job market in Latvia, specifically in Riga, has demonstrated fluctuating activity levels. Notably, there was a peak in job openings in week 29 with 31 new positions posted, indicating a surge in demand for Software Java Developers. However, this was contrasted by a significant number of job closures, especially in weeks 25 and 31, which saw 7 and 7 roles closed respectively. Overall, the difference between new job postings and closures suggests a competitive landscape for Software Java Engineer roles in Riga as hiring managers navigate recruitment challenges, particularly when compared to trends observed in other European tech hubs where a more stable job growth pattern can be noted.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Latvia:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	90
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	90
Paula Stradiņa Klīniskā universitātes slimnīca	Latvia	Hospital & Health Care	1910	29
Luminor Group	Estonia	Banking	2017	26
Bērnu klīniskā universitātes slimnīca / Children's Clinical University Hospital	Latvia	Hospital & Health Care	1899	23
Ruby Labs	United States	Information Technology & Services	2018	17
Aerones	Latvia	Renewables & Environment	2018	17
Ubiquiti Inc.	United States	Information Technology & Services	2005	16
TSMG Holding	Poland	Outsourcing/offshoring	2018	15
Rīgas satiksme	Latvia	Transportation/trucking/railroad	2003	14

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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 talent market for Software Java Engineers in Latvia, specifically in Riga, reflects a competitive landscape when compared to other European countries. With a job opening count that suggests an increasing demand for Software Java Developers, the ratio of the talent pool to job openings indicates a challenging hiring environment. For instance, Latvia has a jobs-to-talent pool ratio that is lower than that of countries like Poland, where the availability of talent exceeds job openings, and Germany, which has a more balanced market. In contrast, Ukraine demonstrates a higher capacity for talent supply relative to the number of job opportunities. This analysis suggests that hiring managers in Latvia may need to implement more refined recruitment strategies to attract top-tier Software Java Engineers.

Seniority distribution of Java Engineer job openings in Riga

Seniority Distribution of Java Engineering Jobs in Riga

In the competitive Software Java job market in Latvia, particularly in Riga, the distribution of seniority levels reveals key insights for hiring managers. Mid-Senior level positions dominate, accounting for 55% of job openings, followed by Entry level roles at 31%. Additionally, Associate level opportunities represent a smaller segment, comprising 7% of the market. This distribution underscores the emphasis on experienced talent in the Software Java Engineer hiring landscape.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Latvia

In the current landscape of the software development sector in Latvia, full-time positions dominate the job market, accounting for approximately 93% of engineering roles. Contract positions represent around 7% of the employment types, while part-time roles make up about 3%. This distribution highlights the strong preference for stable, full-time employment among Software Java Engineers in Latvia's capital, Riga.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Latvia

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software Java Engineers in Latvia reveals significant trends indicative of the local job market dynamics. A notable concentration of hiring occurs within the 30 to 50 days range, with 285 and 111 respective counts for 30 and 50 days, highlighting the moderate pace of recruitment in this sector. Hiring managers, particularly CTOs and Engineering Managers, should be aware that the majority of candidates are being processed within a 30 to 40-day timeframe. Additionally, with workloads extending beyond 50 days still maintaining a steady applicant count, there is a clear indication of a competitive landscape for Software Java Engineers. These insights are pivotal for developing effective recruitment strategies, especially in the vibrant tech hub of Riga.

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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 trends in Latvia, the capital, Riga, stands out significantly with 92% of the openings, accounting for 2,590 positions. This is followed by the broader region of Latvia at 8%, with 210 job listings. Remote opportunities comprise 3% of the total, highlighting a growing trend towards flexible work arrangements in the tech sector.

Most sought after technologies in Riga for Java

Key technologies for Java Engineers

In the competitive Software Java Engineer job market in Latvia, particularly in Riga, several technologies stand out as essential for candidates. The most frequently utilized technology is Java itself, with an impressive presence in 7,552 job listings. Following this, technologies such as Spring and Spring Boot rank significantly, appearing in 1,714 and 1,865 postings respectively. Microservices also feature prominently, with 1,927 occurrences, highlighting a trend towards modern, modular software architecture. Moreover, SQL and AWS are critical components, appearing in 1,517 and 1,103 job advertisements, respectively. These insights should inform recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers looking to fill Software Java Engineer positions, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

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