Changing India, Changing Labour: How Political and Economic Shifts Across States May Impact Kerala’s Workforce
The recent political changes in states like West Bengal and Assam, along with the growing strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party in many parts of India, may slowly create major changes in the labour market of Kerala. For many years, Kerala has depended heavily on migrant workers from states like West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha for construction work, hotel jobs, factory work, agriculture, delivery services and many other manual labour sectors. These workers became an important part of Kerala’s economy because local labour availability was limited and wages in Kerala were comparatively higher. However, the situation is slowly changing. Many state governments in North and East India are now focusing more on infrastructure development, industrial growth, housing projects, rural employment and welfare schemes. Roads, railways, factories, smart city projects and investment activities are increasing in many of these states. As employment opportunities improve in their home...