Push and Pull Factors Influencing International Migration Intentions among Private Sector Employees: A Study of Selected Employees in the Western Province, Sri Lanka

Human resources are a key factor in national development. However, the migration of skilled human resources to other countries poses a significant challenge to a country’s progress. Due to various conditions in Sri Lanka’s political, social and economic fields, many people are motivated to migrate to other countries to improve the living standards of their families. Therefore, it is very important to study this phenomenon to grasp what factors influence migration intention. Accordingly, this study attempts to examine the pull-push factors influencing migration intention among private sector employees in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, utilising an explanatory sequential method. Employing snowball sampling, the study collected primary data from private sector employees for the purpose of quantitative analysis through a structured online questionnaire by utilising literature-based constructs and five-point Likert scale questions, resulting in 351 samples. The collected data were analysed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. In addition, qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine purposively selected private sector employees to validate the quantitative results. Mainly, data were collected through in-depth interviews using interview guidelines as voice recordings and transcribed into scripts, and the analysis was done using thematic analysis. The quantitative analysis tested six hypotheses, and only five hypotheses were accepted. The quantitative results disclosed that economic, social, and political pull factors have a positive and significant effect on the migration intention, while economic and social push factors also have a positive and significant effect on the migration intention among private sector employees in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The results of the study further revealed that political push factors do not significantly affect migration intention. The qualitative result reveals push factors based on Sri Lanka’s economic challenges, labour market issues, and systemic issues. On the other hand, pull factors are based on attraction factors in other countries. These findings help policymakers develop targeted strategies that reduce labour migration by improving working conditions and employment opportunities in key sectors, while reducing the push factors that cause skilled workers to migrate.