MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN GUWAHATI

Many factors influence migration from the rural areas to the cities. Unskilled workers move in search of manual labour positions that are not available in rural areas. Similarly, educated workers may migrate because their human capital is better rewarded in cities. Inadequate investment and high population growth in rural areas can increase pressure on land and other resources, creating a labour surplus that drives migration. The excess population migrating from rural to urban areas cannot be absorbed by the urban formal sector alone. In addition to this a large portion of rural migrants are basically unskilled and have limited education and hence they are unable to get job in the urban formal sectors. So they are compelled to absorb themselves in urban informal sectors because entry to this sector is free and easy. Assam experiences a process of rapid urbanization. Within the state, the urbanization process was the strongest in Kamrup district. The extraordinary rate of urbanization of Kamrup was fuelled by the explosive growth of its principal city, Guwahati. In this proposed study the researcher wants to study whether Guwahati generates adequate livelihood opportunities to support the multitudes of migrants that come into the city! After reviewing the available literature found so far, it is found that the study related to absorption of rural migrants in urban informal sector in Assam and their quality of works are found scanty. To fill this research gap this proposed research is undertaken