Mobility at the Lower Echelons?Evidence Based on Slum Household Panel Data from a Dynamic Indian City

This paper based on the household panel data collected from the slum surveys in the national capital of India notes that the extent of mobility is not uniform across slum households, which in the literature is interpreted as time independent mobility. It tries to identify the determinants of mobility through various econometric models, keeping in view the appropriateness to reflect on the mobility aspect. Given the city environment, the individual specific factors such as educational attainments are important in determining mobility. Even within the city, activities and labour market vary widely across regions, and the outcomes in terms of mobility are different, reflecting on physical segmentation, the mobility constraints and the variations in individual motivational drive. Access to information also differs depending on the migration status of the population. In the labour market gender discriminatory factors are at place for which the wages diverge between females and males, resulting in variations in mobility. The policy implications may be envisaged in terms of educational and skill imparting programmes, effective dissemination of job market information, provision of inexpensive commuting facilities within the city and reduction in gender differentials in the labour market

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