A new survey finds that migrant workers sent over $300 billion in remittances home last year. In the case of Latin America, the relatively low cost of cash transfers serves as a major factor in a high rate of remittance flows. A recent Viewpoints Americas proposes incorporating remittances into a larger model of expanding microfinance services.

As the U.S. population ages and birth rates decline, immigrant labor will be one of the few sources for future labor growth, writes AS/COA Director of Policy, Jason Marczak. Across the Atlantic, foreign-born labor is also an important economic resource but integration policies stifle newcomers’ ability to contribute economically.

Topics in this issue
   • Senators debates immigration reform
   • Major legislative provisions
   • The Mexican perspective

Step aside foreign direct investment (FDI) and net official development assistance (ODA), the volume of remittances going to the Latin America and Caribbean region has again exceeded the combined totals of these monies in 2005.