Employment Quality among Young Low-Skilled Migrant Workers in India: A Review of Secondary Literature

Internal migration is an important feature of India's labour market, providing workers with opportunities to access employment and improve their livelihoods. However, the availability of employment does not necessarily ensure decent working conditions, stable earnings, employment security or access to social protection. Young low-skilled migrant workers may face particular difficulties because of limited formal qualifications, dependence on informal employment, weak bargaining power and restricted access to welfare services. This paper reviews existing literature on employment quality among young low-skilled migrant workers in India, focusing on wages, job security, working conditions and social protection. It adopts a secondary-data-based literature review approach using published research articles, government reports and reports from relevant national and international organisations. The literature indicates that informal employment, insecure working arrangements, limited access to employment-related benefits and difficulties in accessing welfare entitlements are important concerns among vulnerable migrant workers. However, the available evidence varies by occupation, region, gender and migration pattern. The review also identifies a need for more focused research on the employment experiences of young, low-skilled internal migrants. From a social work perspective, improving employment quality requires accessible welfare services, rights awareness, skill development, employer accountability and stronger coordination between source and destination areas. The paper concludes that employment quality should be assessed not only through employment availability and income but also through security, dignity, protection and opportunities for long-term livelihood improvement.