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International Journal of Human Resource & Industrial Research

MIGRATION AND THE INFORMAL LABOUR ECONOMY: A STUDY OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN DELHI

Samaya Chauhan, Dr. Faraz Ahmad

Samaya Chauhan, Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi

Dr. Faraz Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Amity School of Economics, Amity University Haryana

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17934100 Page No : 26-50

Published Online : 2025-11-17

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ABSTRACT

This study investigates the link between internal migration and Delhi’s informal labour economy through a mixed-methods approach. Surveying migrant households and conducting interviews, the research highlights that migrants—mostly young, low-educated workers—are concentrated in precarious jobs lacking contracts, welfare access, and secure housing. Findings show widespread vulnerabilities, including low wages, poor living conditions, and intensified hardships during COVID-19. The study further reveals the systemic exclusion of migrants from urban planning and welfare frameworks, underscoring the gap between Delhi’s current development model and the goals of inclusive, sustainable urbanization under SDG 11. Policy recommendations stress the need for migrant-inclusive social protection, affordable housing, and labour rights.

Key words: Internal Migration, Informal Economy, Urban Vulnerability

References

Agarwal, T. (2021). Portability of food security: One Nation One Ration Card scheme and migrants in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(23), 34–39.
Anderson, B. (2010). Migration, immigration controls and the fashioning of precarious workers. Work, Employment and Society, 24(2), 300–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017010362141
Banerjee, A. (2021). Gendered vulnerabilities in India’s urban informal sector: Migrant women workers in focus. Journal of South Asian Development, 16(2), 165–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731741211034265
Bhagat, R. B. (2017). Migration, urbanisation and inclusive urban development in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 52(33), 59–66.
Bhagat, R. B., & Mohanty, S. (2019). Internal migration in India: Integrating migration in development policies. UNESCO Report.
Castles, S., de Haas, H., & Miller, M. (2020). The age of migration: International population movements in the modern world (6th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Chandrasekhar, S., & Sharma, A. (2014). Internal migration for education and employment among youth in India. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research Working Paper.
Chen, M. (2020). Informal workers and inclusive development: International experiences. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00221-1
Crush, J., & Tawodzera, G. (2017). Living with xenophobia: Zimbabwean informal enterprise in South Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 43(6), 1061–1077. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057070.2017.1373743
Desai, R. (2021). Informal settlements and urban citizenship in Delhi post-COVID. Urban Studies, 58(15), 3074–3092. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098021103021
Deshingkar, P. (2022). Migration and vulnerability in India: A post-COVID perspective. Journal of Migration Studies, 9(1), 45–68.
Dupont, V. (2019). Unauthorized colonies and the challenges of urban governance in Delhi. Cities, 84, 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.07.005
Gupta, R., & Mishra, S. (2019). Access to healthcare among migrant populations in urban India: Barriers and challenges. Social Science & Medicine, 235, 112399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112399
ILO. (2021). World employment and social outlook: The role of migrants in the labour market. International Labour Organization.
Keshri, K., & Bhagat, R. B. (2013). Socioeconomic determinants of temporary labour migration in India. Asian Population Studies, 9(2), 175–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2013.797293
Kundu, A. (2020). Migration and urban transformation in India: A regional perspective. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(2), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00248-4
Lewis, W. A. (1954). Economic development with unlimited supplies of labour. The Manchester School, 22(2), 139–191.
Nesbitt-Ahmed, Z. (2017). Domestic work and migration: Intersectional inequalities and the politics of exclusion. Third World Quarterly, 38(9), 2057–2078. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2016.1256417
Parrenas, R. (2015). Servants of globalization: Migration and domestic work (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press.
Priya, R., Bhatia, K., & Sinha, R. (2018). Health vulnerabilities of migrant workers in urban India. Indian Journal of Public Health, 62(3), 182–187. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijph.IJPH_324_17
Shah, A., & Lerche, J. (2020). Migration and the remaking of class relations in India. Journal of Peasant Studies, 47(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2019.1707604
Skeldon, R. (2021). Migration and development: A global perspective. Edward Elgar.
Srivastava, R. (2020). Migrant workers and labour rights in India. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(2), 323–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00260-8
Srivastava, R., & Sutradhar, R. (2016). Labour migration to the construction sector in India. Indian Journal of Human Development, 10(2), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973703016685789
Standing, G. (2011). The precariat: The new dangerous class. Bloomsbury Academic.
Todaro, M. (1969). A model of labor migration and urban unemployment in less developed countries. The American Economic Review, 59(1), 138–148.
Tumbe, C. (2018). India moving: A history of migration. Penguin Random House India
NITI Aayog. (2021). India’s informal workforce: Trends, challenges and policy options. Government of India.
Rajan, S. I., Sivakumar, P., & Srinivasan, A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on internal migrants in India: A policy perspective. Migration and Development, 10(3), 452–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/21632324.2020.1826210
Bhagat, R. B., & Mohanty, S. (2009). Emerging pattern of urbanization and the contribution of migration in urban growth in India. Asian Population Studies, 5(1), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730902790024
Deshingkar, P., & Akter, S. (2009). Migration and human development in India. Human Development Research Paper 2009/13. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
International Labour Organization (ILO). (2018). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture (3rd ed.). ILO.
Kundu, A., & Sarangi, N. (2007). Migration, employment status and poverty: An analysis across urban centres. Economic and Political Weekly, 42(4), 299–306.
Srivastava, R. (2020). Understanding circular migration in India: Its nature and dimensions, the crisis under lockdown and the response of the state. Institute for Human Development (IHD) Working Paper Series 04/2020.
Srivastava, R., & Epari, R. (2019). Vulnerabilities of migrants and intervention frameworks. In R. Jhabvala, R. Srivastava, & S. Khandelwal (Eds.), Informal workers and the future of work in India (pp. 47–72). Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) & WIEGO.
Stark, O., & Bloom, D. E. (1985). The new economics of labor migration. The American Economic Review, 75(2), 173–178.

Cite this article: Samaya C &Faraz A (2025), “Migration and the Informal Labour Economy: A Study of Migrant Workers in Delhi”, International Journal of Human Resource & Industrial Research, Volume 12, Issue 2, 2025, pp 26-50. DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17934100

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References

Agarwal, T. (2021). Portability of food security: One Nation One Ration Card scheme and migrants in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(23), 34–39.
Anderson, B. (2010). Migration, immigration controls and the fashioning of precarious workers. Work, Employment and Society, 24(2), 300–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017010362141
Banerjee, A. (2021). Gendered vulnerabilities in India’s urban informal sector: Migrant women workers in focus. Journal of South Asian Development, 16(2), 165–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731741211034265
Bhagat, R. B. (2017). Migration, urbanisation and inclusive urban development in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 52(33), 59–66.
Bhagat, R. B., & Mohanty, S. (2019). Internal migration in India: Integrating migration in development policies. UNESCO Report.
Castles, S., de Haas, H., & Miller, M. (2020). The age of migration: International population movements in the modern world (6th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Chandrasekhar, S., & Sharma, A. (2014). Internal migration for education and employment among youth in India. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research Working Paper.
Chen, M. (2020). Informal workers and inclusive development: International experiences. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00221-1
Crush, J., & Tawodzera, G. (2017). Living with xenophobia: Zimbabwean informal enterprise in South Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 43(6), 1061–1077. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057070.2017.1373743
Desai, R. (2021). Informal settlements and urban citizenship in Delhi post-COVID. Urban Studies, 58(15), 3074–3092. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098021103021
Deshingkar, P. (2022). Migration and vulnerability in India: A post-COVID perspective. Journal of Migration Studies, 9(1), 45–68.
Dupont, V. (2019). Unauthorized colonies and the challenges of urban governance in Delhi. Cities, 84, 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.07.005
Gupta, R., & Mishra, S. (2019). Access to healthcare among migrant populations in urban India: Barriers and challenges. Social Science & Medicine, 235, 112399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112399
ILO. (2021). World employment and social outlook: The role of migrants in the labour market. International Labour Organization.
Keshri, K., & Bhagat, R. B. (2013). Socioeconomic determinants of temporary labour migration in India. Asian Population Studies, 9(2), 175–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2013.797293
Kundu, A. (2020). Migration and urban transformation in India: A regional perspective. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(2), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00248-4
Lewis, W. A. (1954). Economic development with unlimited supplies of labour. The Manchester School, 22(2), 139–191.
Nesbitt-Ahmed, Z. (2017). Domestic work and migration: Intersectional inequalities and the politics of exclusion. Third World Quarterly, 38(9), 2057–2078. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2016.1256417
Parrenas, R. (2015). Servants of globalization: Migration and domestic work (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press.
Priya, R., Bhatia, K., & Sinha, R. (2018). Health vulnerabilities of migrant workers in urban India. Indian Journal of Public Health, 62(3), 182–187. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijph.IJPH_324_17
Shah, A., & Lerche, J. (2020). Migration and the remaking of class relations in India. Journal of Peasant Studies, 47(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2019.1707604
Skeldon, R. (2021). Migration and development: A global perspective. Edward Elgar.
Srivastava, R. (2020). Migrant workers and labour rights in India. Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(2), 323–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00260-8
Srivastava, R., & Sutradhar, R. (2016). Labour migration to the construction sector in India. Indian Journal of Human Development, 10(2), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973703016685789
Standing, G. (2011). The precariat: The new dangerous class. Bloomsbury Academic.
Todaro, M. (1969). A model of labor migration and urban unemployment in less developed countries. The American Economic Review, 59(1), 138–148.
Tumbe, C. (2018). India moving: A history of migration. Penguin Random House India
NITI Aayog. (2021). India’s informal workforce: Trends, challenges and policy options. Government of India.
Rajan, S. I., Sivakumar, P., & Srinivasan, A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on internal migrants in India: A policy perspective. Migration and Development, 10(3), 452–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/21632324.2020.1826210
Bhagat, R. B., & Mohanty, S. (2009). Emerging pattern of urbanization and the contribution of migration in urban growth in India. Asian Population Studies, 5(1), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730902790024
Deshingkar, P., & Akter, S. (2009). Migration and human development in India. Human Development Research Paper 2009/13. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
International Labour Organization (ILO). (2018). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture (3rd ed.). ILO.
Kundu, A., & Sarangi, N. (2007). Migration, employment status and poverty: An analysis across urban centres. Economic and Political Weekly, 42(4), 299–306.
Srivastava, R. (2020). Understanding circular migration in India: Its nature and dimensions, the crisis under lockdown and the response of the state. Institute for Human Development (IHD) Working Paper Series 04/2020.
Srivastava, R., & Epari, R. (2019). Vulnerabilities of migrants and intervention frameworks. In R. Jhabvala, R. Srivastava, & S. Khandelwal (Eds.), Informal workers and the future of work in India (pp. 47–72). Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) & WIEGO.
Stark, O., & Bloom, D. E. (1985). The new economics of labor migration. The American Economic Review, 75(2), 173–178.

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