A Year in Uruguay

My wife's research was cited in a front page article on international migration in today's Wall Street Journal [subscription only].

CIUDAD BARRIOS, El Salvador -- This lively mountain town survives on money sent from its sons and daughters living in the U.S. On days payments arrive, lines at the local credit union can reach 150 deep. The crowds then hail motorcycle taxis and head for the town's open-air market to stock up on food and clothing, or browse tiny appliance stores stuffed with blaring televisions and stereos.

It's the sort of scene that many development economists believe could transform some of the world's most impoverished regions, by putting cash directly in the pockets of the poor. With tens of millions of migrants around the globe sending remittances home, the flood of money has grown immense -- $167 billion last year, according to the World Bank.

In recent years, her work has focused on the economics of remittances in various countries. Currently, she is researching remittances to Uruguay with colleages at the Universidad de Montevideo, with support from the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Labels: economics, Uruguay