Trend and Pattern of Female Migration for Employment (FME) in India & Greater Mumbai

Niharika Awasthi; Sunil Sarode; Ramkrishna Samanta

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.73540

Trend and Pattern of Female Migration for Employment (FME) in India & Greater Mumbai

Author(s)	Ms. Niharika Awasthi, Dr. Sunil Sarode, Mr. Ramkrishna Samanta
Country	India
Abstract	Female migration for employment (FME) in India, while proportionally small relative to marriage-driven female migration, represents the fastest-growing migration stream in the post-liberalization era. This study analyses Census of India data from 1981 to 2011 to examine long-term trends and spatial patterns of FME nationally, with a specific focus on Greater Mumbai. At the national level, FME as a percentage of total female migrants increased from 1.9% (1981) to 2.1% (2011). Inter-state migration emerged as the dominant stream, and the 2001–2011 decade witnessed explosive growth of 74.3%, far outpacing population growth (17.9%) and total female migration (40.1%). A persistent rural-urban differential characterized FME, though the gap narrowed for long-distance migration, with rural inter-state rates (4.2%) nearly converging with urban rates (4.5%) by 2011. State-wise analysis reveals a profound spatial reconfiguration. By 2011, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan dominated national FME, eclipsing traditional source states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The Indo-Gangetic corridor recorded hyper-growth during 2001–2011, while southern states exhibited relative stagnation. Greater Mumbai’s FME profile transformed dramatically. Uttar Pradesh’s contribution surged from 5,630 (1981) to 49,181 (2011), an increase of over 770%, establishing northern dominance. Despite this shift, rural origins prevailed, with 75% of Uttar Pradesh migrants and 72% of Bihar migrants to Mumbai reporting rural last residence. These findings demonstrate that FME, while proportionally modest, represents the fastest-growing migration stream, increasingly inter-state and concentrated in metropolitan destinations. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications for skill development, urban infrastructure, and social protection in both source and destination regions.
Keywords	Female Migration for Employment (FME), Internal Migration, India & Greater Mumbai
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-04-08
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.73540

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Trend and Pattern of Female Migration for Employment (FME) in India & Greater Mumbai

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