ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to assess the effects of the exodus of labor migrants on the remaining members of the same household. One would like to compare the premigration to the postmigration situation to arrive at conclusions about changes that may be attributed to the act of outmigration. The chapter discusses behavioral differentials of members in migrant and nonmigrant households with regard to labor force participation, schooling of children, and consumption. Statistics on labor force participation in Pakistan are reflective of the fact that although adult males of working ages exhibit a very high activity rate, the participation rates of females are in general very low. Quite apart from the quantifiable gains associated with remittances, the emigration of a male family member entails a family separation that calls for a variety of adjustments and the assumption by other household members of additional responsibilities.
