In search of better life: Construction migrants struggle for livelihood in urban Udupi District of Karnataka, India

• Published in: Asian social work and policy review Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 175 - 184
• Main Authors: Bellampalli, Praveen Naik, Yadava, Neelam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Richmond Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-06-2022
• Subjects: construction; Construction industry; labor; Labor migration; livelihood; Low income groups; Migrants; migration; Occupational choice; Polls & surveys; poverty; Rural poverty; Segments; Unemployment; Urban areas; Urban poverty; Karnataka India; India
• ISSN: 1753-1403; 1753-1411
• DOI: 10.1111/aswp.12257

Migration is an essential livelihood strategy in rapidly developing, low‐income contexts. However, this article seeks to analyze occupation choices and the struggle for livelihood among laborers. This study carried out both secondary and primary data; the primary survey was conducted in the Udupi district of Karnataka. Detailed information was gathered from both individual and household levels. According to National Sample Survey data, construction offers the main occupation for short duration migrants, absorbing 36.2% of total short duration migration. However, the field survey findings indicated that at the destination, the construction sector migrants are more vulnerable and struggle for their lives and livelihood in the urban labor segments—poverty and rural unemployment a significant reasons to push the laborers into the construction segment.