There exists a well-developed pattern of seasonal migration in Armenia, primarily to
Russia as well as other parts of the former Soviet Union (NSS RA, 2010). Armenian
males typically leave the country in the early spring to work in construction and
agriculture and return in late autumn (ILO, 2009). The duration of their annual
work abroad is often 5-11 months, with a mean duration of 9 months (ILO, 2009).
According to the 2010 Armenia Demographic and Health Survey (ADHS), 22% of
currently married women and 28% of formerly married women reported that their
spouses had worked abroad during the 3 years preceding the survey for at least 3
months at a time (NSS RA 2012). In general, urban women, those with higher
education, and those from the wealthiest households were less likely to report that a
husband was employed away from home compared with rural, less educated, and
less wealthy women (NSS RA 2012).
In the Gegharkunik province, one of the poorest provinces in Armenia where the
data in this study were collected, men work as seasonal labor migrants in high
numbers due to poor conditions unfavorable for agriculture and a shortage of nonagricultural
employment (Asatryan, 2007). Regional variations are great. Nearly half
of ever-married women in Gegharkunik (44%) report that their husbands work
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abroad compared with 1% of ever-married women in the Syunik province (NSS RA
2012).