Livelihood Impact of Covid-19: Insights from Migrant Workers in India

This paper tries to analyse the impact that COVID-19 had on the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers. The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns had thrown migrants into an existential crisis. It tries to understand how abandoned by all the stakeholders including employers, contractors, state and society, the migrants survived through the pandemic. Based on primary data collected from inter-state migrant workers in the state of Kerala, India we also study the emergent changes in the post-lockdown work environment of various sectors in terms of wages and working conditions. We observed substantial reductions in the wages of migrant workers in some sectors along with deterioration in their living conditions. There is significant variation in the situation of migrants depending on their skill level, nature of occupation and the sector in which they are employed. The study argues that the pandemic and its aftermath have made migrant workers poorer and more vulnerable to exploitation.