Labour market activity, occupational change and length of stay in the Gulf

This article analyses the relationship between migration duration and occupational changes, using the case of Indian expatriates in the Gulf states. Based on the Kerala (India) Migration Survey 2008 and the Return Migration Survey 2009, this analysis investigates whether the length of stay in the Gulf depends on migrants’ occupational trajectories before, during, and after the migration experience. We find inter alia that a prospect of acquiring an occupation which entails upward social mobility (mainly in the public sector or as self-employees) seems to be associated with a shorter stay in the Gulf states, whereas the prospect of post-return labour market dropout significantly increases migration duration.