Migrant workers in Kerala

The southern most state in Kerala of India hosts a significant number of migrant workers. As per a study by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation published in 2013, there were about 2.5 million internal migrants in Kerala. Every year, the migrant worker population in Kerala gets added up by 2.35 lakh. About 60% of the migrant labourers work in the construction sector and the rest in the rest in the hospitality, manufacturing, trade and agriculture sectors. Fourteen percent of migrant workers in Kerala are from Uttar Pradesh, 17% from Assam, 20% from West Bengal, 18% from Bihar, 6% from Orissa and the rest are from other states.

Compared to other states in India, Kerala has higher wage rates. This is a feature of the socialist leaning Kerala Model of development and a key attraction to the migrant labourers.

As per a study in 2013, the expatriate Malayali population earns in excess of Rs. 75000 crore annually. This high inward remittances have increased the demand of local labour. As revealed by this study conducted by GIFT, the migrant labourers send their homes an amount of the order of 17500 crore rupees.

In 2017, the Left Democratic Front run government has announced a health insurance scheme for migrant labourers which included free treatment worth Rs. 15000 and medical insurance with accident coverage.

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