There is no specific information available regarding large scale migration of labourers from rural, tribal and remote areas to urban areas in search of employment. However, as per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during July 2020 – June 2021, the estimated percentage distribution of migrants in urban areas by reason for migration is as follows:
| Percentage distribution of migrants in urban areas by reason for migration from PLFS conducted during July 2020 – June 2021 | |
| Reason for migration | Percentage of migrants in urban areas |
| in search of employment/better employment | 10.8 |
| for employment/ work (to take up employment/ to take up better employment/ business/ proximity to place of work/ transfer) | 8.9 |
| loss of job/closure of unit/lack of employment opportunities | 1.3 |
| migration of parent/earning member of the family | 19.9 |
| to pursue studies | 2.4 |
| marriage | 47.5 |
| natural disaster (drought, flood, tsunami, etc) | 0.2 |
| social / political problems (riots, terrorism, political refugee, bad law and order, etc.) | 0.2 |
| displacement by development project | 0.2 |
| health related reasons | 0.6 |
| acquisition of own house/ flat.. | 1.7 |
| housing problems | 2.6 |
| post retirement | 0.5 |
| Others | 3.2 |
| All | 100.0 |
| Note: These estimates are obtained from PLFS conducted during July 2020 – June 2021,
Source: NSS Report Migration in India, 2020-21 |
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Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme which provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It provides livelihood security, i.e. fall back options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better employment opportunity is available and mitigates to some extent push factors for migration.
The details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in last three financial year 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 and current financial year 2022-23 (as on 21.07.2022) is as follows:
| Financial Year | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 (as on 21.07.2022) |
| Employment provided
(in person-days generated) (figure in crore) |
265.32 | 389.08 | 363.46 | 119.85 |
This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.