Survey: 88% of NE migrant workers would stay home if there were jobs

Most people who leave the Northeast to work in other states do so out of necessity rather than choice, and nearly nine in ten would rather stay home if they could earn a living there, according to a household survey by Guwahati-based NGO Seven Sisters Development Assistance.

The survey, reported by Highland Post, covered 693 households across 14 administrative blocks in eight districts: five in Assam, two in Meghalaya and one in Tripura. Men make up 88% of the migrants it recorded.

South India is the main draw

Four southern states together take in about half of the migrants. Karnataka tops the list with 22.7%, followed by Tamil Nadu (13.8%), Kerala (10.1%) and Telangana (4.5%).

Within the region, Assam, mainly Guwahati, draws 22.3% of migrants, while Meghalaya, centred on Shillong but with construction and mining work elsewhere in the state, accounts for 8.7%. Delhi receives only 4.5% of migrants from the districts surveyed.

Family and community networks shape where people go. Migrants from North Garo Hills in Meghalaya often end up in Tamil Nadu, while two out of three migrants from Tripura's Dhalai district head to Karnataka. Seven in ten find work through relatives or friends; only 6% apply directly to an employer.

Pushed out by land and debt

About 62% of respondents belong to Scheduled Tribes. While 95% own some land, most holdings are too small to support a family.

Lack of jobs at home was cited by 88% as a reason for leaving, and 91% said they were pushed by land shortage or the need to repay loans. Many also hoped for better living conditions (40%), better jobs (36%) or higher wages (26%).

Low pay, steady remittances

Those hopes are often only partly met. Most migrants end up in low-paid unskilled work. The median monthly salary is Rs 15,000, and 86.5% earn less than Rs 20,000. With around Rs 7,000 a month going on food, healthcare and education, little is left to send home, yet 92% of migrant families said they receive remittances.

The workforce is young: 60% of migrants are 30 or under.

'A necessity, not a choice'

The clearest finding is about what would keep people home. Around 88% said they would not have migrated if they could earn a livelihood locally. That suggests jobs and income support in rural areas of the region could slow out-migration far more than any other measure.