The socio-economic issues have determined Moldovan citizens to leave the country to work abroad, particularly in wealthier states[2, p.1]. In a study of the World Bank from 2008, it was estimated that the number of emigrants constituted 16.8% (705.533) of the total pop- ulation [3, p.162]. Additionally, unofficial sources estimate that this number is higher, as it reaches 1.000.000 Moldovan citizens[2, p.2]. The late 1990s marked the first important wave of migration from the Republic of Moldova[1]. During this period, the process of migration frequently involved using counterfeit documents and illegal border crossings. Due to economic vulnerabilities, Moldovan migrants have been more prone to exploitation and trafficking. This research paper focuses on the labour migration of adult men and women in the pri- vate economy from the Republic of Moldova during 1991-2010. This study investigates the information and data collected through a short questionnaire which consisted of closed and open questions followed up by semi-structured interviews with 20 migrant workers from the Republic of Moldova and 2 specialists in the fields of migration and trafficking in persons.The results of this study highlight the strong connection between mas- sive labour migration from Moldova and the socio-economic issues. This explains why the majority of respondents perceived their pre-migration financial situation as complicated in comparison with their financial situ- ation after migration. In addition, the largest part of respondents stated that the most important pull factor was the possibility to receive higher wages. Therefore, these findings suggest that in the first two decades of transition, educational opportunities, safety and security, respect for human rights, better social services did not have a significant impact on making the decision to migrate. Also, the findings of this research show that the informal channels of information about labour migration were more prevalent among migrant workers from Moldova, in contrast with government information which was completely absent. The prevalence of informal sources of informa- tion in the first two decades of transition is explained by the lack of re- liable, transparent and sufficient information about migration provided by the state structures. Furthermore, the information obtained through interviews illustrates that Moldovan migrant workers received job offers through informal channels. The absence of official and relevant docu- ments constituted a significant barrier for migrant workers. Due to this issue, the job placement of migrant workers from Moldova was pre- dominantly centred on the informal economy. According to interviewed migrant workers and experts, massive migration from Moldova through informal channels in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to the normaliza- tion of irregular labour migration.In terms of working and living conditions, the interviews with mi- grant workers revealed that the majority of migrant workers found them- selves in a situation of dependence, due to the fact that accommodation was mostly provided by the employer and the salary was received in cash directly from him. Moreover, the results of this research show that this dependence conducted to exploitative situations both during the trip abroad and at the workplace. Also, this research explored the awareness of interviewed migrant workers of assistance services both in the source and destination country. The results show that only a few migrant work- ers knew organizations or public institutions which could offer them as- sistance services. Furthermore, the interviewed migrant workers mani- fested distrustful attitudes towards Moldovan state institutions due to endemic corruption and little interest of state bodies in doing justice. In addition, the study revealed a lack of awareness about the elements and characteristics of trafficking in persons and forced labourIn conclusion, this research paper represents a detailed analysis of la- bour migration from the Republic of Moldova. The socio-economic situ- ation had a major impact on labour migration from the post-Soviet space. As a result, countries such as the Republic of Moldova are confronting a serious demographic situation and a major brain drain. However, as it is illustrated in this study, the socio-economic environment does not ex- plain the complexity and the magnitude of this phenomenon. The labour migration was also influenced by the demand for cheap labour, cultural similarities and the proximity to main destination countries.