Moldova declared independence in 1991 and struggles with high poverty rates. It lost control over its eastern border and main industries due to conflict with Transnistria. The 1998 Russian economic crisis also severely damaged the economy. While poverty rates were nearly 80% in the late 1990s, they had decreased by 2007 but are rising again due to the global economic crisis. Many Moldovans have emigrated or moved within Moldova to urban areas in search of jobs as employment in agriculture has dropped significantly. Over half a million Moldovans now live abroad working jobs with low pay and protections but their remittances make up about one third of Moldova's GDP.