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Intriguing livelihood security strategies of the reversed migrant workers during the pandemic

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  • Reimeingam Marchang

    (Institute for Social and Economic Change)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic-induced joblessness owing to job loss and quit, and the work-from-home facility has led to reverse migration. Salary cuts, non-payment of salary and job insecurity led to joblessness that has adversely affected the migrant workers’ livelihood security, which necessitates the establishment of a compulsory wage and job agreement policy. Most reversed migrants, especially the jobless, have faced a variety of livelihood uncertainty and challenge, for which they have prudently adopted intriguing strategies to secure their lives and livelihood. The strategies include self-finance through the use of past savings or social security and employment in the same job of place of last residence (migration destination) or in a new job including self-employment, depending on parents and relatives, receiving free livelihood support, loans, curtailing expenditure, actively seeking for a job, and planning for re-migration for work. Few policy measures are suggested to secure the livelihood of the migrants in the event of a disaster.

Suggested Citation

  • Reimeingam Marchang, 2025. "Intriguing livelihood security strategies of the reversed migrant workers during the pandemic," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 27(1), pages 69-83, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jsecdv:v:27:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s40847-024-00332-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s40847-024-00332-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. Lusome & R. B. Bhagat, 2020. "Migration in Northeast India: Inflows, Outflows and Reverse Flows during Pandemic," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(4), pages 1125-1141, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Joblessness; Reverse migration; Livelihood security strategies; Northeast migrant workers; Re-migration; COVID-19 pandemic;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J69 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Other
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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