Effects of Labor Out-Migration on Socio-Economic Set-up at the Place of Origin: Evidence from Rural India

Abstract The rural to urban migration of poor labour to cope with poverty is a common household strategy in rural India and is socio-economically and culturally accepted. Migration can bring some economic gain through remittances, but it also becomes a pain for migrants themselves, their family and the local economy at the origin. In this context, the present paper aims to study the effect of labour out-migration on the socio-economic set up at the place of origin. Based on the primary data of 200 households, the study found that, although the economic condition of the family is improved, the absence of father adversely affects the education and behaviour of left-behind children. The wives of the migrant mainly faced security problems and increased workload in the household and farm activities. The study also found that migration might reduced labour supply and decreases farm output due to high wage and input cost. However, agricultural productivity can later increase through compensation by the reinvestment of remittances as farm inputs by the migrant.