A Community Survey on Labor Migration in Armenia

Migration has had a profound impact on Armenia’s economy, politics and society. Up to
one million people have permanently migrated since independence, remittances account
for more than ten percent of GDP and around 14% of Armenian households have at least
one seasonal migrant. While the impact of migration is hotly contested, there has been a
growing agreement in academic literature that migration is neither good nor bad, but
rather that migration has certain costs and benefits that need to be understood and
properly managed to make the greatest positive impact on society.

To best capitalize on the positive social and economic impacts of migration, the Eurasia
Partnership Foundation (EPF), within its USAID-funded Migration Program, has been
developing Migration and Return Resource Centers (MRRCs) across the country. These
centers have increasingly becoming trusted sources of information and advice to migrants
and returnees as they seek work abroad or look to reintegrate back home.

In order to deepen the centers’ understanding of Armenia’s migrant population, USAID
commissioned Eurasia and the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) in Armenia
to survey the migrant community. During the winter of 2007 and 2008, CRRC
researchers led the MRRCs through a questionnaire and data-collection process in their
local communities. The survey was quantitative, focusing on overall community
migration trends

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