The Role of Migrant Construction Workers in India :  An Overview

Dr. Anitha. M

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i02.85430

The Role of Migrant Construction Workers in India : An Overview

Author(s)	Dr. Anitha. M
Country	India
Abstract	In India construction workers constitute a major portion in the work force of the construction industry. India’s three crores construction workers are literally the builders of modern India but still, this industry is recognized as the unorganized sector with vast labor intensity and economic activity after agriculture in India. Construction workers are the backbone of the economy as they create the infrastructure necessary for industrial growth. It is well known that the working and living conditions of construction workers are appalling. At various stages, specific enquiries have been held in the conditions of construction workers and suitable recommendations and enactments of legislations have also been made. Construction, which was one of the worst-hit sectors during the pandemic, is also one of the key sectors in which India’s migrant workforce find employment. The NSSO (2016-17) puts the number of construction workers in the country at over 74 million . Interstate migrant workers make 35.4 per cent of all the construction workers in the country’s urban areas, according to the 2001 Census. Of all the interstate migrants in India who move out of the farm sector, construction absorbs around 9.8 per cent, making it the second most preferred sector for migrant workers after retail. Both migrants and non-migrants in the construction sector are largely informally employed, with about 90% of migrants in rural areas and 67% in urban areas working as casual wage laborers. Migrant construction workers are mainly unskilled seasonal migrants who work as wage laborers in the agrarian sector. The remittances sent by migrant workers, accounting for a significant share in foreign exchange earnings of nations and GDP growth, contribute significantly to the economic betterment of migrants’ families. They also act as the engine of economic growth of many developing countries. Out- migration makes a significant contribution to reducing unemployment and underemployment in labour-sending countries. Unlike the economic benefits of out-migration, the social costs are too often relatively high and migrant workers are reportedly exposed to various exploitative situations at workplaces in labour-receiving countries . The promotion of labour migration and protection of labour and human rights of migrant workers has been a matter of concern for the ILO since its establishment in 1919. In view of this, the research analysis is made in this present paper about the economic consequences and social and welfare aspects of migrant workers in India.
Keywords	migrant workers, construction, human rights, unskilled, unorganized.
Field	Sociology > Administration / Law / Management
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 2, March-April 2025
Published On	2025-03-14
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i02.85430

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The Role of Migrant Construction Workers in India : An Overview

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