India's Internal Labor Migration Paradox : The Statistical and the Real

Nayyar, Gaurav ; Kim, Kyoung Yang

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: MIGRATION;    INTERNAL MIGRATION;    ITINERANT LABOR;    LABOR MOBILITY;    LABOR MARKET;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-8356
RP-ID  :  WPS8356

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Internal labor migration rates in Indiahave been largely static and low in recent times comparedwith those in other countries. This is a cause for concernbecause internal migration for economic reasons can promotethe agglomeration of economic activity in more productivelocations and directly contribute to reducing povertythrough remittances. New evidence based on the India HumanDevelopment Survey, which provides a more recent source ofdata compared with the Census and other household surveys,shows that labor mobility is higher than previouslyestimated -- the stock of labor migrants increased from 16million in 2004-05 to 60 million in 2011–12. The absolutenumber of circular migrants, at more than 200 million in2011-12, is also much higher than previously documentedestimates. Tracking the same households between 2004–05 and2011-12, empirical analysis based on the India HumanDevelopment Survey highlights several socioeconomic factorsassociated with the migration decision: household income,the availability of information, as well as communitynetworks in source and destination areas. There is also apossible administrative dimension to interstate migrationbarriers, owing to domicile provisions for work and study,lack of portability of social benefits, and legal and otherentitlements upon relocation.