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The Remittance Behavior of High-skill Migrants: Evidence from Albania
Harris, Gillous
Harris, Gillous
Abstract
Foreign remittances, money international migrants send to their countries of origin, can represent significant portions of GDP for some lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Remittances are often considered a benefit that buffers against the loss of human capital from emigration from LMICs. Yet, the relationship between migrant education levels and remittance behavior merits further exploration. I use regression analysis to explore the relationship between migrant postsecondary education and remittance behavior using data from the 2012 Albanian Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS). These data include demographic and economic characteristics of households receiving remittances, their total remittances received over the past year, and characteristics of international migrants originating from these Albanian households. Analyzing this data captures formal and informal remittance flows from documented and undocumented emigrants. Ultimately, this study finds postsecondary education leads Albanian emigrants to remit less often and remit less value overall. These results conflict with much of the literature on remittance behavior, suggesting the remittance behavior of educated migrants is highly regionally and culturally contingent and warrants further study.
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2021-05-01
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International Relations