Central America and Mexico are characterized by high levels of poverty. In response, labor migration has emerged as a major strategy among families through the sending of earnings (or remittances) to households back home. Large amounts of remittances are sent, with over $13 billion to Central America and more than $23 billion to Mexico in 2011. While remittances to Mexico have been studied extensively, much less is known about the factors associated with remittances to Central America. This mixed methods study examined remittance sending and use patterns of Mexican and Central American labor migrants to the United States. Data on remittance behaviors were drawn from two major surveys, the Latin American Migration Project and Mexican Migration Project. Quantitative analyses were conducted using multiple regression to examine family-level predictors for the decision to engage in labor migration, whether remittances were sent, amount of remittances sent, and the purposes for remitting. Qualitative analysis involved focus group interviews of Mexican and Central American migrants in the United States who currently remit to their families back home. These interviews helped to discern the meaning of remittances for migrants and their families. The quantitative results suggest that top purposes for remitting include food and daily maintenance, education, health, and housing. Additionally, remittance sending patterns differed by region of origin. Mexican migrants were more likely to send remittances and to remit larger amounts. Additionally, individuals from Mexico had increased odds of sending funds for housing expenditures while Central Americans had greater odds of remitting for education and consumer goods. According to respondents who participated in the qualitative study, increasing costs of food, health, and education coupled with limited employment options contribute to a reliance on labor migration in both regions. For many, remittances have emerged as an essential source of income for economic wellbeing and even survival. A key implication for social work of this study on the larger population patterns on remittances is that at the family level, migrants carry a dual responsibility to settle into a new country while also maintaining the economic wellbeing of family left behind. / text

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The first part of this dissertation systematically and comprehensively reviews the literature to understand what is and is not known about Chinese internal migration and mental health. By identifying the research gaps, the second part of this dissertation extends previous research by offering an integrative perspective that articulates how multimodal connectedness by diverse media forms influence one's personal networks, and thus their social capital, social support, and life satisfaction and positive mental health as two subjective well-being outcomes. The theory of media multiplexity (Haythornthwaite, 2005) was employed to explain the relations between Chinese internal migrant workers' diverse media use and their personal ties linked. Media multiplexity advocates that strong ties tend to use diverse media forms to sustain the deep levels of mutual dependency, while only one or two media were employed in the communication of weak ties. However, there is still a dearth of studies investigating Chinese migrant workers' diverse media use to establish and maintain their social ties. In this dissertation, the theory of media multiplexity was advanced with the consideration of the diverse media values in particular Chinese social context within the Chinese migrant worker population. The traditional perspective of media multiplexity theory emphasizes the positive relationship of the media use number and tie strength. In this dissertation I argue that both the number and value of different media forms should be considered to understand the nexus the migrant workers' multiplex media use to interact with different social ties. Moreover, this study also first time investigated the personal networks of Chinese migrant workers and how their personal networks function influences their mental health.

The Ukrainian labor migration to Germany is currently a very present topic, as it is gaining more and more relevance. Statistical data show significant increases for Ukrainian workforces employed in Germany in the recent years, and further increases are expected. This bachelor thesis examines the backgrounds and framework conditions of Ukrainian labor migration to Germany, places it in context with other destination countries, and investigates the effects on the national economy and wage levels. Besides of that, different expressions of Ukrainian labor migration are presented and commodity trade relations between Ukraine and Germany are discussed. Most importantly, the thesis explores the macroeconomic causes of labor market changes and attempts to forecast, with the help of well-known theoretical models, what developments could be expected resulted by Ukrainian labor migration. Formulated hypotheses are attempted to be confirmed in an empirical analysis. For this purpose, statistical data such as average and minimum wages, migration figures, labor productivities and capital intensities were compared. The results indicate an influence of migration on growing wage levels in the Ukraine. In turn, the reduction of the available force also inhibits the labor productivity. The differentiated factor endowments ensures that Ukrainian workers are more likely to find themselves in labor-intensive economic sectors in Germany. Migration numbers are expected to increase even more if wage differentials remain at such a high level. Since the data situation is still relatively incomplete, especially with regard to the Ukrainian side, it will hopefully improve in the future and more in-depth studies to this topic will be possible.:1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Framework 2.1 Specific-Factors Model 2.1.1 Basic Concept 2.1.2 Model Extension and Application on Labor Migration 2.2 Heckscher-Ohlin Model 2.2.1 Basic Concept 2.2.2 Model Extension and Application on Labor Migration 3. Ukrainian Labor Migration to Germany 3.1 General 3.2 Meaning of Remittances and Labor Migration for the Ukrainian Labor Market 3.3 Trade between Ukraine and Germany 3.4 Different Expressions of Migration 4. Empirical Analysis 5. Conclusion Bibliography Appendix

Economic growth and immigration are important issues to individuals and governments alike. This paper looks at previous research on the topic of how migration affects growth and finds that most research finds that immigrants increase growth in at least the long run. First global or widely applicable research is discussed, then the paper focuses on the European Union as its data availability and uniform open migration policy lend it to a panel regression analysis. Three models are estimated using World Bank World Development Indicators data from 1990 to 2009 for all 28 current EU member states. The models are largely inconclusive, with the only significant result for the relationship between the stock of international immigrants and real GDP per capita growth being negative and coming from Model 1. However, in Model 1 domestic investment was also significant with a negative impact on real GDP per capita. With no clear answer to the question of how immigration affects growth, the clash between the EU governing body which uses open migration policy to promote growth and anti-immigration political parties in EU member states that see immigration as harming native citizens’ job prospects seems likely to continue.

There seems to be a gap in previous literature where economists and social scientists do not focus on factors driving emigration of health professionals between developed coun-tries. Although, there is a lot of literature that discusses emigration of health profession-als from developing towards developed countries, there are few previous studies of health professional emigration between developed to developed countries. This paper examines and analyzes factors which might be of importance in determining the direc-tion of emigration of health professionals between developed countries. The concept of health professionals in our study contains people with more than 3 years of education within the health and social welfare sector, not referring to any particular occupation such as nurses, doctors, dentist etc; or whether they are specialized in any area. This pa-per analyses factors that affect emigration of Swedish health professionals, using eco-nomic and social variables in a structured regression model. The results indicate that the percentage of Swedish health professionals is directly affected by factors of destination countries such as geographical proximity, GDP(PPP) per capita, income tax rate and co-workers encouraging development.

Abstract In recent years, many empirical analyses of cross countries point out physical capital stock and human capital stock that can only explain partial cause of income inequality. Therefore, economists attempt to add multiple interpreted variables, trying to illustrate economic growth which physical capital and human capital can¡¦t expound. Generally speaking, growth theory common was applied different growth assay of cross countries, but lacking empirical researches of single country. Income inequality is the important issue of national economy, including difference between town and country bring about problems of financial distribution, and unbalance of labor market cause mishap of high unemployment rates, consequently, it becomes interesting subject that how to blend state output in single country. The issue is more cared for United State that possessing enormous economic influence. Due to corporeal and incorporeal capital can free mobile, one must ponder on more detailed elements to measure national proceeds. According to reports of national policy indicate that development of information technology (IT) and internet were one of important factors to form the longest expansion in the postwar period that lasted 111 months from March 1991 to June 2000, large number of immigrants that could satisfy labor demand of IT property, and consumed productions of market supply. For this reason, one consider to measure U.S. output not only confer the effects of accumulation of physical capital and human capital, but also contain contributions of immigrants. To analyze economic implications in three models, one can summarize four conclusions: First point: physical capital and human capital of effective labor provide with significantly positive effect for economic growth rates of U.S. states in 1991 to 1999. Physical capital of effective labor shows that decreasing influence on economic growth of cross states, the magnitude of estimate coefficient are reducing from 0.0783, 0.0638, to 0.0169, demonstrating that play a role of necessary yet a main input factor. Opposite to physical capital, human capital of effective labor present increasing condition which from 0.4568 to 1.1052, displaying it¡¦s outstanding for economic growth of U.S. Furthermore, we also find a phenomenon that speed of convergence ( ) enlarge huger (from 0.0165 to 0.0183), it imply that value of is diminishing (from 0.0853 to 0.0447). In other words, economies that want to approach state-steady can¡¦t only depend on increasing of accumulation of physical capital, but quality of human and level of technology also simultaneously promote. Second point: More immigrants will move up to economic growth of cross states. Because immigrants have lofty knowledge and skill, an aspect they can through spillover effect to local, increasing accumulation of human capital, another aspect that can raise local productivity to advance economic growth. Third point: Although term of is random coefficient of cross states in models, it¡¦s purport that comprise different geographical location, endowment of resource and institution etc. in every states, hence, when we can think about more component of (for instant, adding immigrants) to improve and develop it, than economic growth will reveal significant and positive beneficial result. Fourth point: Lower adjusted may be that one don¡¦t look upon puzzle of business cycle, therefore, one proceed time serious analysis of single country and directly estimate production function that could meet up perplexity of calculation (Romer, 1987), in other words, when effects of business cycle of economic variables dominate change of some variables for contributing economic growth that will make estimation to convert into inefficient. Synthesizing the above-mentioned consequences, one find that U.S. can establish forceful economic status except for accumulation of physical capital and human capital, it¡¦s more important that immigrants guide robust effect on economic dimension of host country. Such example that can be gather from national policy of Singapore. Consequently, one suggest that nation pay much attention to immigrants will intensify economic growth rates and international competition of nation, and accumulation of ¡§human¡¨ capital will be a key-point that determinate force of national competition.

<p>There seems to be a gap in previous literature where economists and social scientists do not focus on factors driving emigration of health professionals between developed coun-tries. Although, there is a lot of literature that discusses emigration of health profession-als from developing towards developed countries, there are few previous studies of health professional emigration between developed to developed countries. This paper examines and analyzes factors which might be of importance in determining the direc-tion of emigration of health professionals between developed countries. The concept of health professionals in our study contains people with more than 3 years of education within the health and social welfare sector, not referring to any particular occupation such as nurses, doctors, dentist etc; or whether they are specialized in any area. This pa-per analyses factors that affect emigration of Swedish health professionals, using eco-nomic and social variables in a structured regression model. The results indicate that the percentage of Swedish health professionals is directly affected by factors of destination countries such as geographical proximity, GDP(PPP) per capita, income tax rate and co-workers encouraging development.</p>

Drawing from medical anthropology's approach to global health, this dissertation examines well-being among HIV- and TB-infected labor migrants in South Africa. Based on forty-four months of fieldwork from 2005 to 2013, it narrates households' struggles to make ends meet materially and morally in a context of unemployment, scarcity, and epidemic. / Anthropology

In the early 21st Century Sweden’s daily press was full of articles of Asian migrant workers that was picking berries in the north of the country. It was reported that the pickers was exploited by the industry and that it was complete chaos in the berry forests and that no one wanted to take responsible for the situation. As one measurement the Swedish Board of Migration adopted guidelines of how to import work force. The guidelines had a positive effect. The guidelines, however, also created a new problem a now shifted focus to another group of pickers: migrant workers from poor member-states of the European Union. This research partly aims to find out who is the responsible for the situation and who can do something that can improve the situation. Further, the research aim to find out why so many Easter European chose Sweden as country to work in, and then if the Swedish Board of Migrations guidelines actual effect of the migration flow. As a part of a solution for the berry pickers a few organization stands out, namely the ones that a company can use to clean their name with if they connect themselves to. This research then also aim to understand to find out if those organizations can make a positive impact of the situation. Mainly daily press has been used as the main source to create a framework over the situation. The analysis is made from the statements found in the large share of different sources available, but also through Swedish rules, politicians and the workers and theories of migration. In order to put the situation in Sweden in a larger context, a comparison with Austria is made. The final conclusion of the research is somehow devastating. There is still a hassle to understand who can be put in charge of the wheel, but the aftermath is that in the end the actor with most power in the industry might be the consumer of the berries.