Rural and Urban Migrants in India: 1983-2008

This paper characterizes the gross and net migration flows between rural and urban areas in India during the period 1983-2008. Using individual data from the National Sample Survey of India we show that the 5-year gross migration flows constitute about 10% of India's labor force and are stable over time. Migrants tend to be younger and more educated than nonmigrants. They also are more likely to work part-time and in regular employment and less likely to be self-employed. Migrants from rural and urban areas have higher mean and median wages relative to nonmigrants in the same locations. However, there are differences in the size of the wage gaps along the wage distribution and their dynamics over time.