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EMPLOYERS’ PREFERENCE FOR LABOUR; AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION FROM KERALA’S IN-MIGRATION CONTEXT
Corresponding Author(s) : Deepika V. S.
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 7 No. 5 (2019): September
Abstract
Purpose: To examine the employers’ preference for labour between migrants and natives in the in-migration context of Kerala and also to analyze whether there are any sector-wise differences in the employers’ preference.
Methodology: Multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study. The sample constitutes 432 employers/owners belong to three sectors namely, construction, manufacturing, and restaurants were selected from three districts of Kerala.
Main Findings: Employers prefer migrant workers in the in-migration context as they are a better substitute when the majority of the factors are concerned. While working skills, work experience, health and risk in the employment of workers are concerned, either native were preferred or both the group of workers are preferred equally. The inter-sectoral analysis in the study also shows that in majority cases, there is a significant difference in the percentage distribution of employers across sectors according to their labour preference.
Implication: The research results could be used to frame government policies related to entrepreneurs and also, in-migrant workers and native workers and their employment and unemployment situations.
Novelty/Originality: The study is new and original because the previous studies discuss the in-migration in Kerala from the laborers’ perspective. This study shows the employers’ viewpoint. Also, the findings of this study are based on the field survey of 432 employers in three different sectors.
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- Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labour market discrimination. American Economic Review, 94(4), 991-1013. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828042002561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828042002561
- Cui, Y., Nahm, D., &Tani, M. (2012). The determinants of rural migrants' employment choice in China: Results from a joint estimation (No. 6968). Discussion Paper Series, Fors chungs in stitutzur Zukunft der Arbeit.
- Dench, S., Hurstfield, J., Hill, D., &Akroyd, K. (2006). Employers' Use of Migrant Labour: Main Report. London: Home Office.
- Economic Review, (2016). State Planning Board, Government of Kerala.(Chapter 3).Retrieved from http://spb.kerala.gov.in/index.php/home.html.
- Green, A., Atfield, G., &Adam, D., (2013). Impacts of Migrant Labour on ‘Low Skilled’ Work in the Construction and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors. Bulletin Number 104.Warwick Institute for Employment Research.
- Green A., Atfield, G., Davies, R., Jones, P. and Owen D. (2010).Migrant workers in the East Midlands Labour Market in 2009.
- Green, A., Atfield, G., Adam, D., &Staniewicz, T. (2013). Determinants of the Composition of the Workforce in Low-Skilled Sectors of the UK Economy. Warwick Institute for Employment Research. Available from https:// www. Gov. UK/government/uploads/ and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors. Bulletin Number 104. Warwick Institute for Employment Research.
- Hnatkovska, V. & A. Lahiri (2015). Rural and urban migrants in india: 1983–2008. The World Bank Economic Review 29 (suppl 1), S257–S270. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhv025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhv025
- Hotchkiss, J. L., &Quispe-Agnoli, M. (2009). Employer monopsony power in the labour market for undocumented workers. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1459045 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1459045
- Kuhn, P., &Shen, K. (2014). Do employers prefer undocumented workers? Evidence from China's Hukou system. https://doi.org/10.3386/w21675 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w21675
- Kuhn, P., &Shen, K. (2015). Do employers prefer migrant workers? Evidence from a Chinese job board. IZA Journal of Labour Economics, 4(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40172-015-0038-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40172-015-0038-0
- Kumar, N. A. (2011). Vulnerability of Migrants and Responsiveness of the State: The Case of Unskilled Migrant Workers in Kerala, India. Centre for Socio-Economic and Environmental Studies, Kochi.
- Lundborg, P., &Skedinger, P. (2014). Employer attitudes towards refugee immigrants. Centre for Labour Market and Discrimination Studies, Linnaeus University.
- Lusome, R. & R. Bhagat (2006). Trends and patterns of internal migration in india, 1971-2001. In Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) during, Volume 7, pp. 9.
- Mahapatro, S. R. (2010). Patterns and Determinants of Female Migration in India: Insights from Census. Institute for Social and Economic Change.
- Moses, J. W., &Rajan, S. I. (2012).Labour Migration and Integration in Kerala.Labour and Development, 19(1), 1.
- Narayana, D., Venkiteswaran, C. S. & Joseph, M. P. (2013).Domestic Migrant Labour in Kerala. Report submitted to Labour and Rehabilitation Department, Govt. of Kerala.
- Pandey, A. K. (2014). Spatio-temporal changes in internal migration in india during post reform period. Journal of Economic & Social Development 10 (1).
- Parida, J. K., &Madheswaran, S. (2011). Determinants of migration and remittance in India: Empirical evidence. Institute for Social and Economic Change.
- Peter B. and Gupta K. (2012), Implications of Forest Conservation Interventions of the Judiciary on Human Migration: An In-depth Exploration into the Causes of Labour Migration to Plywood Industry in Kerala. Indian Journal of Social Development, Vol. 12, No. 1 (January-June 2012), 1-14.
- Puteh, Fadilah&Syahirah SS, Sharifah&Nashroh bin Ishak, Muhammad &Azim bin Anwar, Muhammad. (2011). Employers dependency on foreign workers in Malaysia food service industry: A preliminary study. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISBEIA.2011.6088839 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISBEIA.2011.6088839
- Rajan, S. I. (2013). Internal Migration and Youth in India: Main Features, Trends and Emerging Challenges. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
- Rajan, S. I., & James, K. S. (2007). Demographic transition and economic development in Kerala: The role of emigration. South Asia Network of Economic Research Initiatives.Retrieved fromhttp://saneinetwork.net/Files/3.pdfRajan, S. I. and Sumeetha M.(2015). Survival, struggle and the promise of a new future: living and working conditions of migrant workers in Kerala. Chapter 16.India Migration Reprt 2015 Gender and Migration.
- Reymen, D., Gerard, M., De Beer, P., Meierkord, A., Paskov, M., Di Stasio, V., ...& Lutz, H. (2015). Labour market shortages in the European Union. Study for the EMPL Committee
- Rajan, S. I. and Sumeetha M.(2015). Survival, struggle and the promise of a new future: living and working conditions of migrant workers in Kerala. Chapter 16.India Migration Reprt 2015 Gender and Migration. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315683232 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315683232
- Rooth, D. O. (2007). Implicit discrimination in hiring: Real-world evidence.
- Singh, D. (1998). Internal migration in India: 1961-1991. Demography India 27 (1), 245–61.
- Srivastava, R. and T. McGee (1998).Migration and the labour market in India. Indian Journal of Labour Economics 41 (4), 583–616.
- Srivastava, R. and S. Sasikumar (2003).An overview of migration in India, its impacts and key issues. In Regional Conference on Migration, Development and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia, pp. 22–24.
- Zachariah, K. C., &Rajan, S. I. (2012).Inflexion in Kerala’s Gulf Connection: Report on Kerala Migration Survey 2011.
References
Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labour market discrimination. American Economic Review, 94(4), 991-1013. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828042002561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828042002561
Cui, Y., Nahm, D., &Tani, M. (2012). The determinants of rural migrants' employment choice in China: Results from a joint estimation (No. 6968). Discussion Paper Series, Fors chungs in stitutzur Zukunft der Arbeit.
Dench, S., Hurstfield, J., Hill, D., &Akroyd, K. (2006). Employers' Use of Migrant Labour: Main Report. London: Home Office.
Economic Review, (2016). State Planning Board, Government of Kerala.(Chapter 3).Retrieved from http://spb.kerala.gov.in/index.php/home.html.
Green, A., Atfield, G., &Adam, D., (2013). Impacts of Migrant Labour on ‘Low Skilled’ Work in the Construction and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors. Bulletin Number 104.Warwick Institute for Employment Research.
Green A., Atfield, G., Davies, R., Jones, P. and Owen D. (2010).Migrant workers in the East Midlands Labour Market in 2009.
Green, A., Atfield, G., Adam, D., &Staniewicz, T. (2013). Determinants of the Composition of the Workforce in Low-Skilled Sectors of the UK Economy. Warwick Institute for Employment Research. Available from https:// www. Gov. UK/government/uploads/ and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors. Bulletin Number 104. Warwick Institute for Employment Research.
Hnatkovska, V. & A. Lahiri (2015). Rural and urban migrants in india: 1983–2008. The World Bank Economic Review 29 (suppl 1), S257–S270. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhv025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhv025
Hotchkiss, J. L., &Quispe-Agnoli, M. (2009). Employer monopsony power in the labour market for undocumented workers. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1459045 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1459045
Kuhn, P., &Shen, K. (2014). Do employers prefer undocumented workers? Evidence from China's Hukou system. https://doi.org/10.3386/w21675 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w21675
Kuhn, P., &Shen, K. (2015). Do employers prefer migrant workers? Evidence from a Chinese job board. IZA Journal of Labour Economics, 4(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40172-015-0038-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40172-015-0038-0
Kumar, N. A. (2011). Vulnerability of Migrants and Responsiveness of the State: The Case of Unskilled Migrant Workers in Kerala, India. Centre for Socio-Economic and Environmental Studies, Kochi.
Lundborg, P., &Skedinger, P. (2014). Employer attitudes towards refugee immigrants. Centre for Labour Market and Discrimination Studies, Linnaeus University.
Lusome, R. & R. Bhagat (2006). Trends and patterns of internal migration in india, 1971-2001. In Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) during, Volume 7, pp. 9.
Mahapatro, S. R. (2010). Patterns and Determinants of Female Migration in India: Insights from Census. Institute for Social and Economic Change.
Moses, J. W., &Rajan, S. I. (2012).Labour Migration and Integration in Kerala.Labour and Development, 19(1), 1.
Narayana, D., Venkiteswaran, C. S. & Joseph, M. P. (2013).Domestic Migrant Labour in Kerala. Report submitted to Labour and Rehabilitation Department, Govt. of Kerala.
Pandey, A. K. (2014). Spatio-temporal changes in internal migration in india during post reform period. Journal of Economic & Social Development 10 (1).
Parida, J. K., &Madheswaran, S. (2011). Determinants of migration and remittance in India: Empirical evidence. Institute for Social and Economic Change.
Peter B. and Gupta K. (2012), Implications of Forest Conservation Interventions of the Judiciary on Human Migration: An In-depth Exploration into the Causes of Labour Migration to Plywood Industry in Kerala. Indian Journal of Social Development, Vol. 12, No. 1 (January-June 2012), 1-14.
Puteh, Fadilah&Syahirah SS, Sharifah&Nashroh bin Ishak, Muhammad &Azim bin Anwar, Muhammad. (2011). Employers dependency on foreign workers in Malaysia food service industry: A preliminary study. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISBEIA.2011.6088839 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISBEIA.2011.6088839
Rajan, S. I. (2013). Internal Migration and Youth in India: Main Features, Trends and Emerging Challenges. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Rajan, S. I., & James, K. S. (2007). Demographic transition and economic development in Kerala: The role of emigration. South Asia Network of Economic Research Initiatives.Retrieved fromhttp://saneinetwork.net/Files/3.pdfRajan, S. I. and Sumeetha M.(2015). Survival, struggle and the promise of a new future: living and working conditions of migrant workers in Kerala. Chapter 16.India Migration Reprt 2015 Gender and Migration.
Reymen, D., Gerard, M., De Beer, P., Meierkord, A., Paskov, M., Di Stasio, V., ...& Lutz, H. (2015). Labour market shortages in the European Union. Study for the EMPL Committee
Rajan, S. I. and Sumeetha M.(2015). Survival, struggle and the promise of a new future: living and working conditions of migrant workers in Kerala. Chapter 16.India Migration Reprt 2015 Gender and Migration. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315683232 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315683232
Rooth, D. O. (2007). Implicit discrimination in hiring: Real-world evidence.
Singh, D. (1998). Internal migration in India: 1961-1991. Demography India 27 (1), 245–61.
Srivastava, R. and T. McGee (1998).Migration and the labour market in India. Indian Journal of Labour Economics 41 (4), 583–616.
Srivastava, R. and S. Sasikumar (2003).An overview of migration in India, its impacts and key issues. In Regional Conference on Migration, Development and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia, pp. 22–24.
Zachariah, K. C., &Rajan, S. I. (2012).Inflexion in Kerala’s Gulf Connection: Report on Kerala Migration Survey 2011.