The Impact of International Labor Migration on Regional Development

The author puts the focus of his research on the economic impact of migration movements on the regions of the migrants origin. The core research question are, how remittances influence the eco no mic structure of the region, and whether the investments undertaken by the migrants and the political programs secure a sustainable economic development. The research is based on the following data sources: (1) a survey in seven counties among 486 households; (2) interviews with 55 re-migrants investors and (3) statistical data from official sources.
The research concludes, that Zacatecas did not participate in the industrialization and economic development of the whole country, the state lost about 25% of its weight in the national economy. The economy still concentrates on the production of primary goods. Most investment activities undertaken by migrants concentrate in the areas of service, retail and wholesale and thus do not imply large economic multiplier effects for the regions. Political programs have managed to increase the share of remittances dedicated to infrastructure projects, which improves the regions' development potential.
Remittances have positive impacts on the regional economy, however the regions do not show patterns of a sustainable economic development, which might loosen the dependency on remittances.