IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i17p9536-d621172.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Remittance Flows from Healthcare Workers in Toronto, Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Iffath Unissa Syed

    (Department of Health Policy and Administration, Penn State University, Sharon, PA 16146, USA)

Abstract

Previous research indicates that Canadian healthcare workers, particularly long-term care (LTC) workers, are frequently composed of immigrant and racialized/visible minorities (VM) who are often precariously employed, underpaid, and face significant work-related stress, violence, injuries, illness, and health inequities. Few studies, however, have analyzed the contributions and impact of their labor in international contexts and on global communities. For instance, it is estimated that over CAD 5 billion-worth of remittances originate from Canada, yet no studies to date have examined the contributions of these remittances from Canadian workers, especially from urbanized regions consisting of VM and immigrants who live and/or work in diverse and multicultural places like Toronto. The present study is the first to investigate health and LTC workers’ roles and behaviors as related to remittances. The rationale for this study is to fill important knowledge gaps. Accordingly, this study asked: Do health/LTC workers in the site of study send remittances? If so, which workers send remittances, and who are the recipients of these remittances? What is the range of monetary value of annual remittances that each worker is able to send? What is the purpose of these remittances? What motivates the decision to send remittances? This mixed-methods study used a single-case design and relied on interviews and a survey. The results indicate that many LTC workers provided significant financial support to transnational families, up to CAD 15,000 annually, for a variety of reasons, including support for education and healthcare costs, or as gifts during cultural festivals. However, the inability to send remittances was also a source of distress for those who wanted to assist their families but were unable to do so. These findings raise important questions that could be directed for future research. For example, are there circumstances under which financial remittances are funded through loans or debt? What are the implications for the sustainability and impact of remittances, given the current COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effect of dampening incomes and wages, worsening migrants’ health, wellbeing, and quality of life, as well as adversely affecting recipient economies and the quality of life of global communities?

Suggested Citation

  • Iffath Unissa Syed, 2021. "Remittance Flows from Healthcare Workers in Toronto, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9536-:d:621172
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9536/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9536/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Syed, Iffath Unissa, 2020. "Racism, racialization, and health equity in Canadian residential long term care: A case study in Toronto," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    2. Doyal, Lesley, 2000. "Gender equity in health: debates and dilemmas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 931-939, September.
    3. Samuel Munzele Maimbo & Dilip Ratha, 2005. "Remittances: Development Impact and Future Prospects," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7339.
    4. SeyedSoroosh Azizi, 2020. "Impacts of remittances on financial development," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 47(3), pages 467-477, February.
    5. Ruttan, Lore M., 2008. "Economic Heterogeneity and the Commons: Effects on Collective Action and Collective Goods Provisioning," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 969-985, May.
    6. Edgar R. Rodriguez, 1996. "International Migrants' Remittances in the Philippines," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 29(s1), pages 427-432, April.
    7. Iffath Unissa Syed, 2019. "In Biomedicine, Thin Is Still In: Obesity Surveillance among Racialized, (Im)migrant, and Female Bodies," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simisola Johnson, 2022. "Women deserve better: A discussion on COVID‐19 and the gendered organization in the new economy," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 639-649, March.
    2. Debelo Bedada Yadeta & Fetene Bogale Hunegnaw, 2022. "Effect of International Remittance on Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 383-402, June.
    3. Pablo Acosta & Cesar Calderón & Pablo Fajnzylber & Humberto López, 2006. "Remittances and Development in Latin America," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(7), pages 957-987, July.
    4. Léger Félix Ntienjom Mbohou, 2023. "Understanding the role of institutions in the multiple streams approach through the recognition of the diaspora as a development agent in Cameroon," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(2), pages 355-376, June.
    5. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/7i7knjo7kv89n9d542jjp3tg0g is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Ma, Yechi & Chen, Zhiguo & Shinwari, Riazullah & Khan, Zeeshan, 2021. "Financialization, globalization, and Dutch disease: Is Dutch disease exist for resources rich countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Karam Fida, 2010. "When Migrant Remittances Are Not Everlasting: How Can Morocco Make Up?," Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 1-38, July.
    8. Deodat E. Adenutsi & Meshach J. Aziakpono & Matthew K. Ocran, 2011. "The Changing Impact Of Macroeconomic Environment On Remittance Inflows In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Academic Research in Economics, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Accounting and Financial Management Constanta, vol. 3(2 (July)), pages 136-167.
    9. Gaia Narciso, 2015. "Labour and migration in rural Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-095, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Yasuyuki Sawada & Ryuji Kasahara & Keitaro Aoyagi & Masahiro Shoji & Mika Ueyama, 2013. "Modes of Collective Action in Village Economies: Evidence from Natural and Artefactual Field Experiments in a Developing Country," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 30(1), pages 31-51, March.
    11. Gustav Ranis, 2007. "Migration, Trade, Capital and Development: Substitutes, Complements and Policies," Working Papers 950, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    12. Marjit, Sugata & Kar, Saibal & Hazari, Bharat R., 2013. "Emigration, unemployment and welfare – The role of non-traded sector," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 298-305.
    13. Naiditch, Claire & Vranceanu, Radu, 2009. "Migrant wages, remittances and recipient labour supply in a moral hazard model," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 60-82, March.
    14. Ummya Salma & Md. Fazlul Huq Khan & Md. Masum Billah, 2023. "Foreign Capital and Economic Growth: Evidence from Bangladesh," Papers 2312.04695, arXiv.org.
    15. Fijnanda van Klingeren, 2020. "Playing nice in the sandbox: On the role of heterogeneity, trust and cooperation in common-pool resources," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-36, August.
    16. Olufunmilayo Olayemi Jemiluyi & Leward Jeke, 2023. "How Catalytic Is Digital Technology in the Nexus between Migrants’ Remittance and Financial Development in Sub-Saharan African Countries?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-12, February.
    17. Serdar Sayan & Ayça Tekin-Koru, 2010. "Host-Country Economic Policies and Worker Remittances to Developing Countries: The Cases of Turkey and Mexico," Chapters, in: Robert E.B. Lucas & Lyn Squire & T. N. Srinivasan (ed.), Global Exchange and Poverty, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Syed, Iffath Unissa, 2020. "Racism, racialization, and health equity in Canadian residential long term care: A case study in Toronto," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    19. Beine, Michel & Lodigiani, Elisabetta & Vermeulen, Robert, 2012. "Remittances and financial openness," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 844-857.
    20. Moises Neil V. Serino & Donghun Kim, 2011. "How Do International Remittances Affect Poverty In Developing Countries? A Quantile Regression Analysis," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 17-40, December.
    21. Fijnanda van Klingeren & Nan Dirk de Graaf, 2021. "Heterogeneity, trust and common-pool resource management," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 37-64, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9536-:d:621172. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.