Title: Harsh realities of migrant workers during COVID-19 epoch: an investigation from the backward remote districts in India

Authors: Tarak Nath Sahu; Sudarshan Maity; Nabanita Sen

Addresses: Department of Commerce, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore-721 102, West Bengal, India ' The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, 12, Sudder Street, Kolkata-700016, West Bengal, India ' Department of Law, Bankura University, Bankura-722155, West Bengal, India

Abstract: The pandemic revealed horrifying striving truths with multiple hardships and bleak indications of improvements in the socio-economic condition, compelling migrant wage earners to return to their homeland in lieu of their lives at high risk. In the study, researchers have reflected the socio-economic milieu of the impoverished casual migrant labourers in the course of pandemic-induced curbs when they were unemployed and unwaged. The study takes into account 390 migrant workers from West Bengal, India. The pair sample t-test evaluates the socio-economic condition of the migrant workers in the course of pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. The study further evaluates the influencing factors of migrant work. The inference from ordered logistic reveals that the wage difference, standard of education, and if any other family members are engaged as migrant workers significantly predict migrant employability. The study infers that the elongated stern lockdown has significantly affected migrant workers economically and socially.

Keywords: employability; migrant; COVID-19; pandemic; socio-economic; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEM.2023.132231

International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 2023 Vol.14 No.3, pp.301 - 320

Received: 08 Oct 2022
Accepted: 15 Nov 2022
Published online: 13 Jul 2023 *

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