The Matching Approach on Expenditure Patterns of Migrant Households: Evidence from Moldova

This paper examines the effect of temporary and permanent migration
on household expenditures and on asset/durables ownership.
Using household survey data from Moldova, this paper relies on the
matching approach for identification. It is shown that temporary migrant
households have additional expenditures for food compared to
non-migrant households. Further, non-migrant and temporary migrant
households have higher expenditures for the repayment of loans
than permanent migrant households. Concerning the ownership of
goods or assets in 2006 compared to the regional crisis in 1998, temporary
migrant households are more likely to own more assets or
goods than non-migrant households. Overall, the findings indicate
that temporary migration has a stronger effect on household expenditures
than permanent migration.