Intriguing livelihood security strategies of the reversed migrant workers during the pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic-induced joblessness owing to job loss and quit, and the work-from-home facility has led to reverse migration. Salary cuts, non-payment of salary and job insecurity led to joblessness that has adversely affected the migrant workers’ livelihood security, which necessitates the establishment of a compulsory wage and job agreement policy. Most reversed migrants, especially the jobless, have faced a variety of livelihood uncertainty and challenge, for which they have prudently adopted intriguing strategies to secure their lives and livelihood. The strategies include self-finance through the use of past savings or social security and employment in the same job of place of last residence (migration destination) or in a new job including self-employment, depending on parents and relatives, receiving free livelihood support, loans, curtailing expenditure, actively seeking for a job, and planning for re-migration for work. Few policy measures are suggested to secure the livelihood of the migrants in the event of a disaster.