Emigration of Latvian women: causes and effects

Abstract

Short-term emigration is mainly related to the employment problems in Latvia. Inadequately low salaries, unemployment, and spread of illegal employment cause high poverty risk for many families. Inability to support themselves and to support their family makes women go to foreign countries to do unskilled work and to earn a sufficient salary by Latvian standards. Short-term migration with a view to earn money becomes regular (during summer, 6 months a year, etc.) for most women. Young women (usu. students) go to foreign countries for other purposes as well (e.g. to learn a language or to gain experience) but women who have a family have the only motive, i.e. to earn money.