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COVID ‐19 lockdown and penalty of joblessness on income and remittances: A study of inter‐state migrant labourers from Assam, India
Author(s) -
Guha Pradyut,
Islam Bodrul,
Hussain Md Aktar
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of public affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1479-1854
pISSN - 1472-3891
DOI - 10.1002/pa.2470
Subject(s) - unemployment , demographic economics , promotion (chess) , state (computer science) , economics , covid-19 , recession , social security , job loss , business , labour economics , economic growth , political science , politics , market economy , medicine , disease , algorithm , pathology , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , keynesian economics , law
Present study made an attempt to examine the penalty of joblessness following coronavirus induced lockdown on income and remittances of inter‐state migrant labourers from Assam. The primary data for the study were collected through telephonic‐based survey of 451 labourers during May–June 2020. The results of this study showed that, on an average, labourers in the study area remained jobless for nearly 2 months and incurred income loss of INR 28,955 thereby failed to send remittances towards their families by an amount of INR 12,215 during the reference period. As per the analysis of covariance the income loss and remittances unsent amount was higher amongst the elderly labourers engaged in professions which remained non‐operational during lockdown period. Further, the additional days of joblessness increased their hardship in terms of income and remittances. With coronavirus being more than a health crisis, in short term it is necessary to minimise the loss of life, forwarding social and financial security for the families of migrant labourers and vulnerable sections for extended period of crisis, strategies for supporting agriculture and allied activities, promotion of small and medium‐size enterprises, imparting skill training for the unemployed and reverse migrant labourers, financial assistance for self‐employment may be helpful. Suitable coordination of monetary and fiscal policy would be helpful for reducing the unemployment heading from the recessionary trend of the economy in the long run.