Livelihoods: Migrant workers who returned to cities in search of work post the first lockdown earned approximately five-times more than those who decided to stay back. Furthermore, the lockdown-driven exodus affected migrant women more than men.
These findings are from a survey conducted by researchers from Yale University and the Inclusion Economics India Center at KREA University. They tracked 5,000 migrants across north and central India from April 2020 to February 2021 with a focus on Bihar and Chhattisgarh as ‘source states’.
According to the survey, only 45 percent of female migrants, and 55 percent of male migrants returned to their workplaces in urban India.
Male and female migrants who returned to their urban workplaces, after the first lockdown, managed to earn up to 90 percent and 72 percent of their pre-pandemic earnings respectively. On an average this came up to INR 2,355 a week or 85 percent of their earnings.
Compared to this, male and female migrants who stayed back in their villages earned only 23 percent and 13 percent of their pre-pandemic incomes. This translates into an overall average of up to INR 451 a week or 18 percent of their pre-pandemic incomes.
With the devastating second wave of COVID-19 threatening another migrant exodus, policy efforts need to be directed towards ensuring they stay in urban areas, with an extra focus on women migrant workers.
“Those who remained at home in rural areas were more likely to report being unemployed, reducing food consumption, mortgaging, or selling assets, spending down savings, and taking loans to make ends meet. To the extent it is possible to help those who returned to urban areas remain in cities through localised lockdowns, such as by providing economic support through employers and rations, we can protect migrants from another costly return to rural areas and enable a speedier economic recovery,” the report states.
Read this article to understand how labour rights have worsened post-lockdown.