Until recently, a quintile of Bolivia’s citizenry could be found working outside the country. As a result of the global recession though, and specifically the ailing construction industry in Spain and the United States, Bolivians are returning home in droves, often after many years of informal work. Of course, Bolivia’s economy has also suffered since 2009, and while unemployment nationwide hovers around 10 percent (hardly unusual for a country during this global crisis), wages for jobholders in Bolivia generally do not cover basic utilities.
Hence, the prospects for returned laborers in Bolivia are bleak. And many retornados are treated as failures for having not capitalized on their opportunity to make it in the rich world. While some are trying to get back on their feet in Bolivia and plot their next move back to Europe or the States, more and more Bolivians are choosing to migrate to Brazil for work. Brazil’s labor laws are seen as more lenient to itinerant laborers, and given Brazil’s multi-ethnic and multi-cultural composition it is easier for Bolivians to fit in.
