📄 Abstract
Return migration has become an important part of the livelihood pattern of rural households in India. Odisha is also a major source of migrant workers, particularly from rural areas where employment opportunities are often seasonal or limited. The present study examines the relationship between return migration, the use of skills gained during migration and employment generation among return migrants in rural Odisha. The study is based on primary data collected from 500 return migrants from selected migration-prone rural areas of the state. Information was collected on their migration experience, skills acquired during migration, employment after return, income, access to credit, participation in government programmes and livelihood conditions. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, Chi-square tests and Cramer's V were used to examine the relationships between these factors. The findings show that many respondents acquired practical skills during migration, particularly in construction, manufacturing and service-related activities. However, these skills were not used to the same extent by everyone after returning to their villages. While some respondents were able to use their experience in self-employment or wage employment, others continued to depend on agriculture or casual labour because suitable local opportunities were not available. The analysis also shows significant associations between skill utilization and employment improvement, access to credit and employment improvement, participation in government programmes and livelihood improvement, and duration of migration and livelihood improvement.
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📚 How to Cite:
Dr. Manoj Kumar Sial,, Dr. Niranjan Rout, Dr. Manoj Kumar Panda , RETURN MIGRATION, SKILL UTILIZATION AND RURAL EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN ODISHA, INDIA , Volume 14 , Issue 8, September 2026, International Journal of Indian Economic Light(JIEL) , Pages: 22 - 27 ,