Labour migration (Part 1)
Yvonne Harvey, Contributor

It is good to be with you all once again. This lesson, and next week's, will focus on migration and, in particular, the positive and negative effects of migration on the labour force. However, before embarking upon that task, it is fitting that we spend a little time looking at the concept of the mobility of labour, so that we do not confuse it with the migration of labour.

Mobility of labour

The mobility of labour simply refers to the movement of labour. If labour moves easily, it is said to be mobile. If, however, it is not easily moved, it is said to be immobile. There are two types of labour mobility: geographical mobility of labour and occupational mobility of labour. Geographical mobility of labour considers labour movement from place to place, that is, from one geographical location to another. If labour moves easily, geographically, it is said to be geographically mobile. If labour has difficulty moving in the geographical sense, it is said to be immobile, geographically.

Occupational mobility, on the other hand, considers the movement of labour from one occupation, or form of employment, to another. Specialised labour does not move easily and is, therefore, said to be occupationally immobile. The less specialised the labour is, the easier it will move from one employment to another, that is, it will be more mobile.

Migration of labour

Many of you are aware of the massive labour migration that took place from the West Indies, especially the English-speaking Caribbean, during the early 1950s to Britain, the United States of America (USA) and Canada.

When labour moves geographically, this movement might or might not be permanent. However, migration is the permanent movement of people from one area to another, within a country (internal migration) or from one country to another (external migration) for at least one year.

When a person leaves a country, he or she is referred to as an emigrant. When the person arrives in the other country, he or she is referred to as an immigrant. Internal migration might be from rural to urban areas (urban drift) and from urban to rural areas; the former being the most popular. External migration is mostly from less-developed countries to more-developed countries. Persons move between countries, for example, between Jamaica and the USA or Canada. Remember, though, that we are talking about permanent movements (movements for at least one year).

Why do people migrate? I will now discuss some of the reasons for labour migration. Some of the points apply to internal migration, some to external migration, and some to both internal and external migration. As I go through the points, see whether you can make the correct applications.

Reasons for migrating

People migrate for the following reasons:

1. They might be unemployed and migration promises them employment.

2. While they might be employed, migration might mean the opportunity to secure better and higher-paying jobs resulting in higher standards of living.

3. Some migrate because of the attraction of town life, especially in the area of entertainment.

4. Many migrate for educational reasons, that is, the desire to improve education and skills. Often, the opportunities where they live are limited or, in some fields, non-existent. Also, the quality of education and training in other places might be higher than where they live.

5. Migration is the choice of some in order to obtain or secure new homes or more living spaces, especially as families grow in size.

6. A number of persons migrate for health reasons, often on a doctor's recommendation. For example, as person's age, a cold climate might not be conducive to their keeping healthy. Doctors might suggest that they move to a warmer climate. Or, certain medical treatments that are needed on a regular basis might not be readily available where one lives, and this might be the reason for migration.

7. Some persons migrate in order to take care of relatives or to be reunited with family members from whom they have been separated for extended periods.

8. The increase in rural population, and the poor state of agriculture, may cause migration.

9. Some rural areas are depressed, and so people will move from these areas to thriving industrial areas and to towns and cities.

10. A number of persons migrate in order to escape the political and economic pressures that are heaped upon them in their present locations.

Migration to the Caribbean came after the abolition of slavery. Many Indian and Chinese workers came to work on the plantations.

What, though, are the effects of migration? This will be the topic of discussion for next week. In preparation for that lesson, you might want to make a list of the effects, negative and positive, of internal and external migration, especially on the labour force. You will be greatly assisted by doing some research.

Take care, until it is time for our next lesson.

William Mahfood, managing director of Wisynco, explains that employee motivation is critical to business success during an interview recently.

Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School.