Lithuania : Job market

What are my chances of getting a job?

Finding work in Lithuania in the present climate may prove to be difficult. Like many countries, the effects of the worldwide economic downturn have had a big impact on Lithuania’s working population. Unemployment is high at around 18%. Experts predict that the economy is expected to start to recover in 2011, although any recovery will depend on a range of factors, including an increase in investment and consumption (both external and domestic).

• Typical problems encountered: language may be the biggest barrier for many foreign workers. Although use of the English language is on the increase in business and academia, knowledge of Lithuanian is a distinct advantage (the majority of job adverts are in Lithuanian). Russian and Polish are also spoken in Lithuania.
• How to improve your chances: take a Lithuanian language course either before you leave or once you arrive in Lithuania.
• Language requirements: proficiency in Lithuanian increases your job options. Russian, Polish, English and German are also taught at school. You may study Lithuanian in some language schools in the UK, though most are London-based such as Key Languages . There are a number of self-study courses available such as Eurotalk Interactive . Some universities in Lithuania also run summer courses in Lithuanian. Check individual university websites for details.

Where can I work?

• Major industries: textiles, oil processing, timber and agricultural products.
• Major companies: Alcatel-Lucent, Coca Cola, HP, Mars, Omnitel, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Renault, Saab, Samsung, Siemens and Volkswagen.
• Search for more companies: the British Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania (BCC) has details of companies with trading links to the UK. Kompass Lithuania  (searchable by country and product/service) and Wikipedia - List of Companies in Lithuania also have listings of Lithuanian companies.
• Major cities: Vilnius (capital), Kaunas and Klaipeda.

What’s it like working in Lithuania?

• Average working hours: working hours must not exceed 40 hours a week (eight hours a day), comparable with the UK.
• Holidays: the minimum annual leave entitlement is 28 days. In addition, there are 14 public holidays, including 16 February for the anniversary of the re-establishment of the State of Lithuania and 11 March for the anniversary of the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence.
• Tax rates: an income tax rate of 15% is applied to all income, except income from distributed profits and non-taxable income, for which a rate of 20% is applied. See the Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate  for more information.
• Working practices and customs: companies tend to be run along hierarchical and bureaucratic lines. Direct approaches to high-ranking staff may be inappropriate. Adopt a formal approach towards colleagues in the first instance. Meetings are formal and are arranged well ahead, and punctuality is important.