Kerala continues to offer the highest daily wages

The wages in Kerala are even more than double that of the national average, as per information released by the RBI

It is no surprise that migrant workers from various parts of the country are coming down to Kerala as the state pays the highest daily wages in the country in sectors like construction and agriculture.

The wages in Kerala are even more than double that of the national average, according to the Handbook of statistics on Indian states released by the Reserve Bank of India recently.

In the construction sector, the average daily wage received by male workers in rural India during 2021-22 was Rs 373.3, whereas in Kerala it was Rs 837.7. In the agriculture sector, the national average was Rs 323.2, whereas in Kerala it is Rs 726.8. In the non-agriculture sector, the national average was Rs 326.6 while in Kerala it was Rs 681.8.

Jammu and Kashmir was next to Kerala with daily wages of Rs 519.8, Rs 524.6 and Rs 500.8 respectively in the three sectors.

Agencies working among migrant workers said that high wage was the key reason for workers from other states to come to Kerala. Kerala is estimated to have over 30 lakh migrant workers, mostly from states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. The wages in these states are much below that of Kerala.

For instance, daily wages in the construction sector of neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during 2021-22 were Rs 383.5 and Rs 478.6 respectively. In states like West Bengal and Assam, which contributes the highest number of migrant workers to Kerala, the daily wages were Rs 333.4 and Rs 341.1 only.

There has also been a steady increase in daily wages over the years. During 2014-15 daily wage in the construction sector in the country was Rs 275, which now increased to Rs 373.3, said the RBI report.

Benoy Peter, executive director of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, an NGO working among migrant workers in Kerala, told DH that majority of the migrant workers in Kerala prefer to stay in their home states if they could earn at least Rs 10,000 per month there.

He also said that of the wages earned in Kerala, about one-third was being spent in Kerala itself, while the remaining was being sent to their families. This was also contributing to social development in the backward areas of many states from where the migrant workers in Kerala come from. Many families in the backward areas are now affording to buy vehicles and sending their children to schools, said Peter who had visited families of migrant workers in places like Kalahandi in Odisha.

Large-scale migration of workers from Kerala to foreign countries is a key reason for the scarcity of workers in the state, leading to an increase in demand for migrant workers.