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Kule, Dhori; Mançellari, Ahmet; Papapanagos, Harry; Qirici, Stefan; Sanfey,

Peter

Working Paper
The Causes and Consequences of Albanian
Emigration during Transition: Evidence from Micro
Data

Department of Economics Discussion Paper, No. 0004

Provided in Cooperation with:

University of Kent, School of Economics

Suggested Citation: Kule, Dhori; Mançellari, Ahmet; Papapanagos, Harry; Qirici, Stefan; Sanfey,
Peter (2000) : The Causes and Consequences of Albanian Emigration during Transition:
Evidence from Micro Data, Department of Economics Discussion Paper, No. 0004, University of
Kent, Department of Economics, Canterbury

This Version is available at:

http://hdl.handle.net/10419/105543

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 ISSN 1466-0814

THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF ALBANIAN EMIGRATION

DURING TRANSITION: EVIDENCE FROM MICRO DATA

Dhori Kule*, Ahmet Mançellari*, Harry Papapanagos†#, Stefan Qirici*, and Peter Sanfey†‡

April 2000

Abstract
This note reports the results of field surveys of individuals and firms in
Albania, carried out during 1998. The surveys were designed to analyse the
extent of emigration from Albania during the 1990s and its causes and
consequences. Our results show that emigrants are motivated mainly by the
ease of access to neighbouring countries and by the prospect of high
financial returns. Although most emigrants worked illegally and had part-
time, low-skilled jobs, the majority found the overall experience positive,
and the skills and earnings they acquired abroad have contributed to
establishing businesses upon their return. These results have important
policy implications for both EU countries and other transition countries in
the region.

JEL Classification: F22, O52, P2

Keywords: Emigration; Albania

Acknowledgements: The research for this paper was financed by the European Commission
under the Phare-ACE research project (Grant No. 96-6208-R) and by the ESRC research
programme ‘One Europe or Several?’ (Grant No. L213252042). We are grateful to the many
students and faculty members of the University of Tirana and of regional universities and
statistical offices in Albania who assisted us in compiling the data, to Andy Dickerson, Libor
Krkoska and an anonymous referee for helpful comments, and to Despina Theodoriou and
Vaso Christidi for excellent research assistance. The paper was presented at a workshop at the
University of Tirana, July 1999, and at the IEFS Conference, Brunel University, November
1999 and we thank the participants at both events for helpful comments and suggestions. The
views expressed in this paper are those of the authors only, and not of the EBRD.

Address for Correspondence: Peter Sanfey, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, One Exchange Square, EC2A 2JN, London, UK. Tel: +44-20-73386227; Fax:
+44-20-73386110; E-mail: [email protected]

* University of Tirana
† University of Kent at Canterbury
# University of Macedonia
‡ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
 1

THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF ALBANIAN EMIGRATION

DURING TRANSITION: EVIDENCE FROM MICRO DATA

1. Introduction

One of the most important features of the transition process during the 1990s in central and

eastern Europe is the opening up of borders, and the possibility for citizens of former

communist countries to travel to the west to live and work. The issue is very important for

policy-makers throughout the region in the context of ongoing debates about an expanded

European Union and closer regional integration. However, a major problem facing researchers

and policy-makers up to now has been the lack of detailed information about migration in

general and short-term, illegal migration in particular. In transition economies especially, such

information is very difficult to obtain, and official sources of data are often inadequate.

This paper uses a new and unique data set to analyse the causes and consequences of

emigration from the European country that has had one of the largest outflows of people

(relative to size of population) during the 1990s – Albania. 1 The size of these flows is difficult

to determine exactly, but according to estimates provided by the Greek Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, Albanian emigration has increased steadily since 1991 to the point where nearly

700,000 Albanians were estimated to be living abroad (not only in Greece) in 1998,

representing about 20% of the population.2

The data analysed in this paper are from two field surveys, one of individuals and the

other of firms, carried out in Albania during 1998. These surveys allow us to provide answers

to three broad issues. First, we examine why people choose to emigrate, or not to emigrate,

1
Previous papers on Albanian emigration include Mançellari et al. (1996), Meksi (1996),
Çuka et al. (1999), Papapanagos and Sanfey (1998), and Mançellari et al. (1999).
2
Estimates of the number of Albanian emigrants in 1998 provided by the Albanian Ministry
of Labour are slightly lower, but still in excess of half a million.
 2

whether they intend to emigrate in the future, and what determines their choice of destination.

Second, we assess the overall experience of emigrants abroad - what types of jobs they had,

whether they worked legally or illegally, whether they were treated in a friendly or unfriendly

way, and whether they acquired useful skills and experience. Third, we analyse the extent to

which remittances from emigrants are channelled into investment rather than consumption,

and whether a spell of emigration is perceived by firms as an advantage on return to the

domestic job market.

Our main findings are as follows: emigration pressures are likely to remain very strong

in Albania for the foreseeable future, driven mostly by economic forces. In general, emigrants

have had to work illegally and accept low-pay, low-skill jobs abroad. However, most were

treated relatively neutrally or better abroad, and feel they benefited from the experience.

Perhaps most significantly, our surveys (both individual- and firm-level) provide evidence that

emigration abroad is an advantage for finding a job or establishing a business back home,

explaining the continuing desire of Albanians to emigrate abroad temporarily, even though

domestic wages and job opportunities have increased at home.

2. The Data

The data in this paper are based on two questionnaires (see Annex 2): the first was distributed

throughout Albania to 1500 individuals, and the second to 200 Albanian firms. Both surveys

were carried out during 1998, mostly in the second half of the year. The questionnaires were

designed by the authors in consultation with other partners in a research project funded by the

European Commission.

The individual survey was carried out in the whole country, and the number of people

interviewed in each region corresponded approximately to the population distribution, based

 3

on the latest census figures. The authors were helped by a number of students from the

University of Tirana, and by faculty members and students of regional universities and local

officials. Interviewers were given written instructions about how to choose people for

questioning, and how to conduct the interview. All surveys were carried out face-to-face.

Given the difficulties of carrying out surveys in Albania, it was not possible to select people

with full randomness, based for example on electoral registers, as such information is either

unavailable or unreliable. However, interviewers were asked to select people as randomly as

possible, balancing rural and urban areas for example, and to avoid obvious biases, for

example by choosing only those who had emigrated. Only one person was interviewed for

each household and in some cases where a member of the household was living abroad, the

respondent was allowed to answer questions on behalf of the emigrant. Some questionnaires

produced implausible or unusable responses, in which case the interview was carried out

again, where possible.

In the case of the firm questionnaire, the coverage was less comprehensive than for

individuals, with over half of the interviews taking place in the capital, Tirana. Nevertheless,

23 regions (out of 36) were covered to some extent. Many firms were initially reluctant to

answer, but this problem was usually overcome by assurances of confidentiality. All of these

points should be borne in mind in assessing the extent to which our surveys are representative

of the population of individuals and firms as a whole.

The sample of individuals was biased towards males, reflecting in part the fact that

representatives of households sometimes responded on behalf of an emigrant abroad, most of

whom are males. The majority of respondents were married, and about 90% are either

Moslem or Orthodox. Most people in our sample had at least completed secondary education,

and nearly half had some experience of either higher education or vocational training.
 4

Interviewees covered a wide variety of occupations and the majority come from the centre of

the country, including Tirana.

3. Reasons for Emigration and Future Intentions

The first issue we address is the reasons for emigration or non-emigration. We asked people

whether they intended to emigrate some time in the future to live and work. Table A1

indicates a very strong desire in the sample to leave, with around three-quarters saying that

they would either “definitely” or “probably” emigrate.3 This strength of this desire may be

surprising given that the sample was carried out at a time when Albania was making a good

recovery from the traumatic events of 1997. It suggests that short-term economic growth does

little to reduce the desire to leave, and that the pressure of emigration from Albania is unlikely

to abate in the near future, if these results are representative of the population as a whole.4

We then asked people whether they had emigrated at any time since 1990. Nearly half

said that they had done so (or a family member was currently abroad) at least once (see Table

A2). For those who said they had never emigrated, we enquired about the main reason for not

doing so, and then finished the interview. Table A2 shows that the most important factors

behind the decision to stay in Albania were either family reasons, lack of visa, or age. For

those who had emigrated, the majority had left more than once, indicating the temporary

nature of much of the Albanian emigration, and for most, economic reasons were cited as

3
A cross-country survey in 1992 by Eurobarometer that included the same question showed a
similar pattern for Albania, far in excess of almost all other countries (see Papapanagos and
Sanfey, 1998).
4
This conclusion needs to be qualified on two grounds. First, it is possible that willingness to
respond to a questionnaire of this type is correlated with intention to emigrate, so that the
results overestimate the desire to leave among the population as a whole. Second, stated
intentions are only imperfectly correlated at best with subsequent behaviour (for a discussion
of this issue, see Manski, 1990).
 5

being the driving force. The choice of country was largely determined by easy access and the

prospect of high financial returns relative to Albania, where income per capita is less than

US$1,000 per year. We asked where people went each year, and summing these up across the

1990s indicates the popularity of Greece and Italy as destinations, with about 85% choosing

one of the two.

4. Experience Abroad

We turn now to the experience of emigrants abroad first-time, summarised in Table A3. The

majority of emigrants who went abroad were illegal in the destination country, and slightly

more than half had part-time, rather than full-time jobs.5 About two-thirds of these were in

unskilled jobs, and emigrants worked in a variety of sectors, with some concentration in

services, construction and agriculture.6 With regard to the way emigrants perceived they were

treated, very few reported unfriendly treatment from the host population, although about one-

in-four claimed that their treatment at the hands of authorities was unfriendly. The latter may

reflect in part the illegal status of many emigrants.7

5
The numbers reporting that their status abroad was legal appear high relative to other
sources. For example, Droukas (1998) notes that very few Albanians had stay and work
permits in Greece between 1991 and the first half of 1997. However, in the first half of 1998,
undocumented immigrants in Greece were allowed to apply for regularisation and it is
estimated that more than two-thirds of illegal Albanians did so. Also, the proportion of legal
Albanians in other countries is probably much higher – the Albanian Ministry of Labour
estimated that 62% of Albanians in Italy were legal at the start of 1997. It is also likely that
some of those answering on behalf of relatives may have reported their status as legal for fear
of discovery and retribution (despite guarantees of confidentiality).
6
The estimate of people in “skilled” jobs may be overstated and should be treated with
caution. Fakiolas (1999, p.219) reports that in Greece, “almost all undocumented immigrants
… are employed in unskilled jobs.”
7
For an interesting discussion of an autobiographical account of an Albanian migrant, see
King et al. (1998).
 6

The picture that emerges from the survey, of Albanians having to take low-skill, low-

paid jobs and worrying about being deported, may not appear very appealing. Nevertheless,

when interviewees were asked whether their overall experience of emigration was positive,

negative, or neutral, a majority declared that it has been positive, with less than 10% reporting

an overall negative experience. A majority also claimed to have obtained useful professional

experience, contradicting the impression that all jobs for Albanian emigrants were dead-end

ones, with no professional value.

We saw earlier that the principal motivation behind emigration from Albania was

economic; job opportunities during the transition in Albania have been very scarce (see

Mançellari et al., 1999), and wages available in adjacent countries such as Greece and Italy far

exceed those in Albania. Remittance flows during the period are conservatively estimated at

15-20% of GDP (see IMF, 1997) and constitute a major source of foreign revenue for the

country. To date however, there is little or no information about the extent to which these

remittances are used for investment rather than consumption purposes, or more generally,

whether a period of emigration is beneficial for job-hunting or business establishment at

home. These are the issues to which we now turn.

5. Use of Income Earned Abroad

Interviewees were asked how they allocated the income they earned abroad among

consumption, investment, remittances, and other destinations. Table A4 shows that nearly half

of all income earned from those who went abroad for the first time was sent back to Albania

as cash remittances, while about 37% was consumed abroad. Most of the rest was either sent

back in-kind or saved abroad. Of the money sent back about half was used for consumption
 7

goods, while the rest was either saved or invested in a variety of sources, including property

and financial institutions.

Another interesting finding from the fieldwork is that emigrants overwhelmingly used

unofficial and informal markets rather than the official banking sector to send their

remittances. Of those who emigrated for the first time, more than 96% of remittances were

sent by the former method. Taken together, these results point to an important role for the

Albanian government, first in directing remittances towards the productive sector, rather than

financing the consumption of imports, and second, in pushing ahead with urgent reforms in

the mainly state-owned banking sector. These issues are discussed further below.

Although the proportion of remittances invested in productive activities appears to be

modest, the results from the firm survey provide a better understanding of the importance of

remittances for job creation, and more generally of the value of emigration for Albania. Some

information on the regional breakdown of the interviewed firms, and the type of ownership, is

given in Table A5. In about two-thirds of cases, we interviewed the owner of the firm, and in

the remainder, a manager answered the questions. The majority of the firms were small (less

than 30 employees). Table A6 demonstrates that among all firms (including those where the

owner had never emigrated) remittances contribute about 17% to the establishment of

businesses. Coincidentally, this result is consistent with a previous survey of small businesses

in Albania in 1995 (see Albanian Centre for Economic Research, 1995), and testifies to the

important role of this source of finance for job creation in Albania.

6. Emigration and Job Creation: Further Evidence

The previous section has provided ample evidence of the importance of emigration flows in

Albania. Given the temporary nature of Albanian emigration, in this section we investigate the
 8

extent to which experience abroad assists an emigrant in finding a job or setting up a business

when he or she returns to Albania.

This question is explored in Papapanagos and Sanfey (1999) in a theoretical model of

temporary emigration. The model uses a dynamic framework to analyse the search choice

facing an unemployed worker, namely whether to remain at home and search for a job, or to

go abroad for a period, and then return to look for a job. Clearly, the costs of emigration will

be one of the key variables affecting this decision, along with other conventional determinants

of migration flows such as relative wages and unemployment rates at home and abroad (see,

for example, Harris and Todaro, 1970).

In traditional models of migration, the pressure to migrate is intensified by declining

wages or job opportunities at home relative to those available elsewhere. However,

Papapanagos and Sanfey (1999) show that this result may not necessarily hold in a model of

temporary migration, if a period abroad enhances the chances of finding a job on return. The

intuition is as follows. If it is the case that experience abroad increases the probability of

employment at home, then an increase in job opportunities or wages at home increases the

long-term value of a period of emigration, and hence may increase the proportion of

unemployed who will choose to emigrate.

Does a short period of emigration abroad enhance the job prospects of Albanians on

return, either because of new skills and experience or through savings that can be used to

generate small businesses? To address this question, we first asked firm owners (or managers)

whether they perceive a previous period of emigration of a job candidate as an advantage

when they are choosing whom to hire. Table A7 shows that the results split almost equally

between those answering yes and those who said no. However, when we asked who would

have a better chance to find a job in Albania (other things being equal) – someone who has

experience of living abroad or someone who has not, far more chose the former over the latter
 9

(although 55% said they would have an equal chance). Most significantly, the responses to the

question, “who has a better chance to establish a firm at home?” show that a clear majority

believe that an emigrant has a better chance to establish a business than a non-emigrant does.

7. Policy Implications

The results of this paper have shed light on a number of features of Albanian emigration

during the 1990s. Emigration has been an important factor in Albania’s transition to a market

economy, and our results suggest that the desire to emigrate is likely to remain significant

among large parts of the population for the foreseeable future. Our surveys indicate that even

though emigrants are usually forced to accept low-paid, low-skill jobs abroad, the income and

experience gained abroad are of great value if and when the emigrant returns home. Emigrants

themselves tend to take a positive view of their experience abroad, and the chances of

establishing a business or finding a job are enhanced by a spell of work in another country.

These results have implications for policy-makers not only in Albania, but also in other

transition economies, most of which desire closer integration with the west. The paper has

highlighted the potentially positive role of short-term emigration. Skills and contacts acquired

abroad are useful on return, and remittances are a key determinant of business establishment

and expansion. Therefore, governments in transition countries may wish to lobby their

western counterparts for an easing of visa restrictions. Such a policy could carry considerable

benefits for the EU also, for example, by filling labour shortages in certain seasonal sectors

where even unskilled labour is sometimes difficult to find, while at the same time easing

unemployment pressures in the source country.

While short-term emigration brings clear benefits, long-term emigration can be very

costly for a country. The fieldwork shows that emigration in Albania is concentrated among
 10

younger, often highly educated people; i.e. those that countries can least afford to lose. Over

the medium term therefore, as prospects for the Albanian economy improve, the Government

may wish to explore ways to encourage emigrants to return. One way would be to intensify

efforts in the destination countries to contact emigrants and keep them informed of

opportunities and developments at home. More generally, governments should aim constantly

to improve the business climate by simplifying the tax system, reforming the banking sector,

reducing bureaucracy, and eliminating waste and corruption in the public sector. The return of

emigrants and the redirection of remittances to productive activities can be greatly facilitated

by investment incentives provided through the tax and banking system.

 11

REFERENCES

Albanian Center for Economic Research (1995), Small Business Survey in Albania, Tirana.

Çuka, Elida, Papapanagos, Harry, Polo, Natasha and Sanfey, Peter (1999), “Labour Market
Developments and Policy during Transition in Albania: an Analytical Overview”,
University of Kent, mimeo.

Droukas, Eugenia (1998), “Albanians in the Greek Informal Economy”, Journal of Ethnic and
Migration Studies, 24(2), pp. 347-365.

Fakiolas, Rossetos (1999), “Socio-Economic Effects of Immigration in Greece”, Journal of

European Social Policy, 9(3), pp. 211-229.

Harris, J.R. and Todaro, M.P. (1970), “Migration, Unemployment and Development: a Two-
sector Analysis”, American Economic Review, 60, pp. 126-142.

International Monetary Fund (1997), Albania: Recent Economic Developments, Washington,

D.C.

King, Russell, Iosifides, Theodoros and Myrivili, Lenio (1998), “A Migrant’s Story from
Albania to Athens”, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 24(1), pp. 159-175.

Mançellari, Ahmet, Papapanagos, Harry and Sanfey, Peter (1996), “Job Creation and
Temporary Emigration: the Albanian Experience”, Economics of Transition, 4(2), pp.
471-490.

Mançellari, Ahmet, Kule, Dhori and Qirici, Stefan, (1999), “Labour Markets and Emigration
in Albania”, University of Tirana, mimeo.

Manski, Charles F. (1990), “The Use of Intentions Data to Predict Behavior: a Best-Case
Analysis”, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 85(412), pp. 934-940.

Meksi, Ermelinda (1996), “Immigration, demographic trends and labour market: the case of
Albania”, Mediterranean Conference on Population, Migration and Development,
Palma de Mallorca, 15-17 October 1996, Council of Europe.

Papapanagos, Harry and Sanfey, Peter (1998), “Intention to Emigrate in Transition Countries:
the Case of Albania”, Studies in Economics No. 98/18, University of Kent.

Papapanagos, Harry and Sanfey, Peter (1999), “Job Search and Temporary Emigration: a
Theoretical Model”, University of Kent, mimeo.
 12

ANNEX 1: SUMMARY TABLES

TABLE A1: Intention of Albanians to Emigrate Abroad in 1992 and 1998

Emigration Intention in 1992 Emigration Intention in 1998

Frequency % Frequency %
Definitely Not 249 28.6 Definitely Not 249 16.6
Probably Not 72 8.3 Probably Not 122 8.1
Probably Yes 218 25.1 Probably Yes 692 46.1
Definitely Yes 331 38.0 Definitely Yes 432 28.8

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Central and Eastern Eurobarometer No.3 (1992) and Albanian Individual Database
(1998).
 13

TABLE A2: Characteristics of Albanian Emigrants

Freq % Freq %
Emigration Reason Not to Emigrate Abroad
Yes 703 47.0 Health Reason 29 3.9
No 792 53.0 Old/Young Age 122 16.3
Family Reasons 187 24.9
Reason to Emigrate Abroad Love Home/Country 110 14.7
Economic 613 86.6 Financial Cost 67 8.9
Political 25 3.5 No Visa 141 18.8
Social 20 2.8 Lose Job 93 12.4
Religion 6 0.8 Lose Social Assist. 1 0.1
Other 44 6.2

No. of Times of Emigration Reason Chose Emig. Country

1 329 46.5 Easy Access 175 24.8
2 214 30.2 Relative/Friends 174 24.6
3 94 13.3 Easier to Find Job 110 15.6
4 31 4.4 High Financial Return 203 28.7
5 18 2.5 High Career Return 19 2.7
6 12 1.7 Other 26 3.7
>6 10 1.4

Emigrants’ Destination (90-98)

France 30 1.2
Germany 118 4.6
Greece 1449 56.0
Italy 774 29.9
FYROM 34 1.3
Switzerland 68 1.6
U.K. 20 0.8
U.S.A. 49 1.9
Other 47 1.8

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Individual Database.
 14

TABLE A3: Emigrants’ Experience from Emigration Abroad - First-Time

Freq % Freq %
Emigrant’s Status Emigrant Treated by People
Legal 272 40.1 Friendly 400 57.2
Illegal 407 59.9 Indifferently 232 33.2
Unfriendly 67 9.6
Type of Emigrant’s Occupation
Part-Time 370 58.4 Emigrant treated by Authority
Full-Time 264 41.6 Friendly 209 30.2
Indifferently 316 45.7
Skill in Emigrant’s Occupation Unfriendly 166 24.0
Skilled 159 25.2
Unskilled 473 74.8 Overall Experience Abroad
Positive 381 54.7
Occupation of Emigrant Neutral 255 36.6
Agricultural 142 20.3 Negative 61 8.8
Industrial 69 9.9
Handicraft 42 6.0 Useful Prof. Experience Abroad
Construction 183 26.2 Yes 371 53.5
Trade 17 2.4 No 323 46.5
Tourism 25 3.6
Services 221 31.6

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Individual Database.

TABLE A4: Use of Income Earned from Emigration - First-Time

Use of Income Abroad Use of Income Sent Home in Cash

% %
(N=700) (N=694)
Mean SD Mean SD
Consumed Abroad 37.32 21.61 Consumed by You/Family 52.67 33.99
Sent Back in Cash 47.02 25.45 Saved in Bank 15.98 26.51
Sent Back in Kind 7.51 11.49 Invested in Financial-Inst. 7.05 18.60
Saved Abroad 3.87 11.46 Invested in Com. Business 5.18 17.94
Invested in Business Abroad 0.15 2.02 Invested in Prod. Business 1.28 9.37
Invested in Fin-Inst. Abroad 0.01 0.38 Invested in Agr. Business 0.96 6.34
Invested in Property Abroad 0.10 1.36 Invested in Property 7.00 19.69
Other Activity Home/Abr’d 4.00 11.02 Used in Other Activity 9.89 17.69

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Individual Database.
 15

TABLE A5: Albanian Sample of Firms

Freq % Freq %
Regional Breakdown of Firms No of Employees
Tirana 110 55.0 less than 5 72 36.0
North 14 7.0 6 – 10 42 21.0
Center 50 25.0 11 – 30 60 30.0
South 26 13.0 more than 30 26 13.0

Ownership Type of the Firm

Pure Albanian 161 80.9
Foreign 12 6.0
Joint Venture 26 13.1

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Firm Database.

TABLE A6: Contribution of Capital Sources for the Establishment of Firms in Albania

%
(N=190)
Mean SD
Remittances 17.20 33.59
Loan from Albanian Banks 4.73 15.71
Loan from International Banks 1.16 8.13
Loan from Financial Institutions in Albania 0.22 1.70
Loan from Family/Relatives 7.52 18.50
Loan from Friends 8.75 20.31
Own Capital 55.58 40.52
Other Sources 4.83 17.16

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Firm Database.
 16

TABLE A7: Employers’ Perceptions about Emigration

Freq % Freq %
Emigration is Advantage to Better Chance to Establish
Employ at Home Firm at Home
Yes 101 51.0 Emigrant 130 65.7
No 97 49.0 Non Emigrant 6 3.0
Equal Chance 62 31.3
Better Chance to Find Job at
Home
Emigrant 75 37.7
Non Emigrant 13 6.5
Equal Chance 111 55.8

Note: “don’t know” and “no answer” are excluded.

Source: Albanian Firm Database.
 17

ANNEX 2: ALBANIAN INDIVIDUAL AND FIRM QUESTIONNAIRE

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PHARE ACE PROJECT P96-6208-R

JOB CREATION, EMIGRATION AND THE SPEED OF ADJUSTMENT IN ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION

INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ALBANIA

Serial number of questionnaire:

Code number of questionnaire: (to be completed later):

Name of interviewer: __________________________________

Date of interview: Date/Month/Year ___/___/___

Gender: Family status: Date of birth: Date/Month/Year ___/___/___

Male Never Married
Female Married
Divorced and not married
Widow(er)

Number of children: Number of dependents (apart from children):

Living with interviewee: ___ Living with interviewee: ___
Not living with interviewee: ___ Not living with interviewee: ___

Religion: ___________________ Total number of years in education (all types): ___

Which is your main present occupation (tick one):

Senior management Farmer
Middle/Lower management Other paid work
Secret/Clerical Pensioner
Skilled worker Housewife
Unskilled worker Student
Self-employed work Unemployed

Usual net average total income (monthly): _________

Usual net average earned income-Wage (monthly): _________
Usual net average unearned income (monthly): _________
Usual net average social assistance (monthly): _________
Usual net average unemployment benefit (monthly): _________
Usual net average remittances/other transfers (monthly): _________

Usual average number of paid hours that you work (weekly): ____

Location of main residence: Name of town/village: _______________________________

Region Size of town/village Settlement

Tirana Smaller than village Urban
North Village Rural
Center Less than 20000
South Between 20-50000
Between 50-100000
More than 100000
 18

Do you intend to emigrate abroad in the future to leave and work?

Definitely No Probably No Probably Yes Definitely Yes

Have you emigrated abroad since 1990: No Yes

If the answer is “No” answer the following question and finish interview.
If the answer is “Yes” skip the following question and answer the rest of the questions.

Which is the main reason for you not to emigrate abroad (tick one):
Health reasons
Old/Young age
Family reasons
I love home/country
I could not afford the financial cost
I could not get a visa
Lose job/business
Lose social assistance/benefits

How many times have you emigrated since 1990? ___

In which country and for how long have you emigrated each time?
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____

Which was the main reason for you to emigrate abroad (tick one):
First-time Last-time
Economic Economic
Political Political
Social Social
Religion related Religion related
Other Other

Which was the main reason for you to go to the country mentioned above (tick one):
First-time: Last-time:
Easy access to the country/low cost Easy access to the country/low cost
Relatives/friends Relatives/friends
Easier to find job Easier to find job
Expectations for higher financial returns Expectations for higher financial returns
Expectations for higher career returns Expectations for higher career returns
Other Other

Status, type and skill of main occupation abroad:

First- Legal Illegal Part-time Full-time Skilled Unskilled
time:
Last-time: Legal Illegal Part-time Full-time Skilled Unskilled
 19

Description of your main occupation abroad (no more than five words):
First time: ____________________________________________________
Last time: ____________________________________________________

In which sector your main occupation was abroad (tick one):

First time Last-time
Agricultural Agricultural
Industrial Industrial
Handicraft Handicraft
Construction Construction
Trade Trade
Tourism Tourism
Services Services

Usual Income earned abroad (monthly) First-time Last-time

Usual net average total income (monthly): _________ _________
Usual net average earned income - wage (monthly): _________ _________
Usual net average unearned income (monthly): _________ _________
Usual net average social benefits (monthly): _________ _________

Average number of hours that you worked abroad (weekly): First-time ___ Last-time ___

Total net income earned abroad from emigrating: First-time _______ Last-time _______

What percentage of your total income earned abroad has been (approximate amount):
First-time Last-time
Consumed abroad ____ % ____ %
Send back in Albania in cash ____ % ____ %
Send back in Albania in Kind (goods, machinery etc.) ____ % ____ %
Saved in a bank abroad ____ % ____ %
Invested in businesses abroad ____ % ____ %
Invested in financial institutions abroad ____ % ____ %
Invested in properties abroad ____ % ____ %
Other ____ % ____ %
The sum should be equal to 100 % 100 %

Which way did you use mainly to send income earned abroad in Albania

First-time Last-time
Official/banking system Official/banking system
Unofficial/informal market Unofficial/informal market

What percentage of the income that you send back in Albania in cash has been (approximate amount):
First-time Last-time
Consumed by you/family in Albania ____ % ____ %
Saved in a bank in Albania ____ % ____ %
Invested in financial institutions in Albania ____ % ____ %
Invested in commercial businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Invested in production businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Invested in agricultural businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Invested in properties in Albania ____ % ____ %
Other ____ % ____ %
The sum should be equal to 100 % 100 %
 20

What percentage of the income that you send back in Albania in kind has been used for (approximate
amount):
First-time Last-time
Consumption by you/family in Albania ____ % ____ %
Trade in Albania ____ % ____ %
Investment in commercial businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Investment in production businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Investment in agricultural businesses in Albania ____ % ____ %
Other ____ % ____ %
The sum should be equal to 100 % 100 %

How people in general treated you when you were abroad?

First- Friendly Indifferently Unfriendly
time:
Last-time: Friendly Indifferently Unfriendly

How the authorities in general treated you when you was abroad?
First- Friendly Indifferently Unfriendly
time:
Last-time: Friendly Indifferently Unfriendly

Is the overall experience that you had abroad:

First- Positive Neutral Negative
time:
Last-time: Positive Neutral Negative

Is the professional experience that you had abroad useful for your future plans?
First- No Yes
time:
Last-time: No Yes

Did you established any business relationships abroad:

First- No Yes
time:
Last-time: No Yes

Did you establish any social relationships abroad:

First- No Yes
time:
Last-time: No Yes

Have your expectations from emigrating abroad been materialized?

First- No Yes
time:
Last-time: No Yes

Has the recent devaluation of the Greek Drachma affected your preferences to emigrate to Greece
relative to other countries: No Yes
 21

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR OWNERS OF FIRMS/BUSINESSES IN ALBANIA

Serial number of questionnaire:

Code number of questionnaire (to be completed later):

Name of interviewer: _____________________________

Date of interview: Date/Month/Year ___/___/___

Gender: Family status: Date of birth: Date/Month/Year ___/___/___

Male Never Married
Female Married
Divorced and not married
Widow(er)

Number of children: Number of dependents (apart from children):

Living with interviewee: ___ Living with interviewee: ___
Not living with interviewee: ___ Not living with interviewee: ___

Religion: ___________________ Total number of years in education (all types): ___

Position in the firm/business: __________ Name of the firm/business: _______________

When the firm/business was established: Date/Month/Year ___/___/___

Location of the firm/business (main site): Name of Town/Village: ___________________

Region Size of town/village Settlement
Tirana Smaller than village Urban
North Village Rural
Center Less than 20000
South Between 20-50000
Between 50-100000
More than 100000

Description of the main activity of the firm (no more than 5 words):__________________
Type of ownership of the firm: Type of the main activity of the firm:
Pure Albanian Production
Foreign Commercial
Joint venture Financial

Number of people employed in the firm/business when it was established: ____

Number of people currently employed in the firm/business: ____

Number of males/females currently employed in the firm/business: Males __ Females __

Number of family members/relatives currently employed in the firm/business: ____

Have you emigrated abroad since 1990: No Yes
 22

Do you intend to emigrate abroad in the future to leave and work?

Definitely No Probably No Probably Yes Definitely Yes

What is the percentage contribution of each of the following capital sources for the establishment and
for the expansion of the firm/business (approximate amount):

Establishment Expansion
Remittances from abroad ____ % ____ %
Loan from bank(s) in Albania ____ % ____ %
Loan from International bank/institution ____ % ____ %
Loan from private financial institution in Albania ____ % ____ %
Loan from family/relative ____ % ____ %
Loan from friend ____ % ____ %
Own capital ____ % ____ %
Other ____ % ____ %
The sum should be equal to 100 % 100 %

Number of people currently employed in the firm/business that have emigrated abroad since 1990:
____

Number of males/females currently employed in the firm/business that have emigrated abroad since
1990: Males ____ Females ____

When you are considering to employ someone in your firm/business do you perceive as advantage if
he/she has emigrated abroad in the past? No Yes

Other things being equal who has a better chance to find a job in Albania:
Someone who has emigrated abroad
Someone who has not emigrated abroad
Both have more or less equal chance

Other things being equal who has a better chance to establish a new firm/business in Albania:
Someone who has emigrated abroad
Someone who has not emigrated abroad
Both have more or less equal chance

If your answer to the question “Have you emigrated abroad since 1990 was “No” finish interview
here. If your answer was “Yes” answer the following questions.

How many times have you emigrated since 1990? ___

In which country and for who long have you emigrated each time?
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
Country _______ From (month/year) ___/___ To (month/year) ___/___ Town(s) ____
 23

Which is the main reason for you to emigrate abroad:

First-time Last-time
Economic Economic
Political Political
Social Social
Religion related Religion related
Other Other

Status, type and skill of main occupation abroad:

First- Legal Illegal Part-time Full-time Skilled Unskilled
time:
Last-time: Legal Illegal Part-time Full-time Skilled Unskilled

Description of your main occupation abroad (no more than five words):
First time: ____________________________________________________
Last time: ____________________________________________________

In which sector your main occupation was abroad (tick one):

First time Last-time

Agricultural Agricultural
Industrial Industrial
Handicraft Handicraft
Construction Construction
Trade Trade
Tourism Tourism
Services Services

To what extent your occupation, professional and/or business activity abroad helped in the
establishment and for the expansion of the firm/business:
Establishment ____ % Expansion ____ %

What is the percentage contribution of each of the following factors that you experienced while you
were working abroad for the establishment and for the expansion of the firm/business:
Establishment Expansion
Know how ____ % ____ %
Remittances ____ % ____ %
Acquaintances ____ % ____ %
The sum should be equal to 100 % 100 %

Type of Firm:
Privatized
New