Occupational mobility of labour


Movement of labour from one occupation to another occupation is known as occupational mobility of labour.
As against the mobility of labour the non-movement of labour from one labour to another and from one place to another place is known as labour immobility.
  The causes of occupational mobility are given below.
(a)  There are exceptionally talented persons such as musicians, sports persons and so on.    Their supply is extremely limited.  Those persons with natural ability cannot move from one occupation to another occupation.
(b)  Certain jobs require long period of education and training such as medical practitioner (Doctor), Legal professionals (Advocates) and so on. They take many years practice to enter into such professions. So their supply is limited and  it is less possible to move from  that occupation.
(c)  Finance is a limiting factor of labour mobility.  Insufficiency of finance of the entrepreneur in setting up the business will also limit the mobility of labour.
(d) People dislike dirty or dangerous jobs and unsociable working hours (mid night) at the ordinary wage rate. If the employer pay a very high wage workers may be attracted.
(e)  Job satisfaction will differ from person to person and job to job.  Some people may be prepared to work even without the regular pay in relation to the work.
(f) Lack of information about jobs that they can do and relative higher wages,   many people remain in the same job or at the same place. These people sometimes work for less than what they could earn.
(g) Changes in the fringe benefits or perks (such as, company car, Free life insurance, free health care facilities etc.) some are reluctant to move from their job to another job.
(h) Institutional factors like trade unions, Professional organization or government intervention also prevent mobility of labour.
(i) Other reasons such as, shortage of workers, length of service and local pay agreement also obstruct the mobility of labour.
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