25th October 2024
A recent public survey, commissioned by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, found that 71 percent of Lithuanians agree immigrants help fill roles that are difficult to staff within Lithuania. However, the survey also highlights negative perceptions, with a notable proportion of respondents expressing concerns that immigrants may take jobs from local workers or burden the country’s social services.
Growing Need for Foreign Labor Acknowledged
Conducted in July 2024, the survey focused on attitudes toward immigrants from outside the European Union who are currently residing in the EU legally. While most respondents recognize immigrants’ positive role in filling hard-to-staff jobs—a view that has remained steady at 71 percent since 2017—half of those surveyed also believe immigrants positively impact the Lithuanian economy.
Mintautė Jurkutė, an expert at the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, points out that this suggests a societal acknowledgment of the dependency on foreign labor in specific sectors. “Lithuania’s aging population, along with international companies and remote work opportunities, provides more career options for local employees. Immigration, therefore, becomes essential to meet labor demands, which may explain why attitudes remain consistent,” says Jurkutė.
Mixed Attitudes Persist
Despite recognizing the contributions immigrants make to the labor market, many Lithuanians still hold reservations: 44 percent of respondents feel that immigrants may take jobs from local workers—an increase from 37 percent in 2017. Additionally, 57 percent view immigrants as a strain on social services.
Attitudes vary across professions as well. While 69 percent of respondents are comfortable receiving services from immigrant doctors, only 48 percent view having an immigrant as their direct supervisor positively. This represents the lowest level of comfort with immigrant managers in eight years—down from 68 percent in 2017 and 63 percent in 2021.
“The survey reveals challenges in trust and perceptions of hierarchy,” says Jurkutė. “Immigrants are generally accepted in service or support roles but face resistance in managerial positions. This trend mirrors that in other countries: while many acknowledge the economic necessity of immigration, there are also growing defensive attitudes, viewing it as a potential risk to national security, culture, and tradition.”
A representative survey of the Lithuanian population was conducted on July 19–29, 2024. It was conducted by “Spinter tyrimai”. 1007 people over 18 years of age were surveyed. The article also refers to data from previous years from the “Eurobarometer” 2017 survey and the 2021 survey.