Economic Orphans: How Parents’ Labor Migration Alters the Financial Values of Teenagers in Samarkand

Abstract

In many developing regions, labor migration is a common phenomenon to address the shortage of economic opportunities at home. While research on labor migration often focuses on macroeconomic factors, its impact on the children of migrant parents remains understudied. In Uzbekistan, where millions of adults work abroad, an increasing number of teenagers are raised without one or both  parents, identified as “economic orphans.” This paper explores how labor migration affects the financial priorities and behaviors of these adolescents in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as a case study for broader trends in the region. The purpose of the study is to compare the financial responsibility and decision-making skills of two adolescent groups: those whose parents are currently employed abroad and those whose parents are in the country. Thirty people participated in a survey that assessed their budgeting, remittance usage, saving and spending patterns. According to the findings, adolescents in migrant families are more financially disciplined, more active in paying home expenditures and saving inducement. Youngsters whose parents stayed back in the country are more likely to buy non-essentials and have less control over their finances. The findings indicate that parental migration causes not only a breakdown in family structure but also an earlier financial responsibility placed on children. Adolescents in many migrant families have no choice but to take responsibility for their own expenditure which leads to adult-like financial behaviors.