Reports
Discussion Papers
No.196 Pakistani Migration to the United States: An Economic Perspective
by ODA Hisaya
March 2009
ABSTRACT
The 9-11 attack on the US brought a set of changes in overseas migration from Pakistan. One such change is the sharp increase in remittances sent from the United States. The paper argues that the characteristics of remittances from the United States differ from those originating in the Middle East. Just as the overseas Pakistani communities are diversified, the nature and characteristics of remittances are heterogeneous, depending on where they come from and who sends them. While the importance of remittance flows from the United States is rising, not much academic attention has been paid to this issue because of a lack of data.
To better understand the reasons behind the increase in US remittances, and in order to evaluate their sustainability, household surveys are necessary.
Keywords: labor migration, remittances
JEL classification: J61, O15, O53
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