What is Mobility of Labour

The word mobility of labour means shifting of labour from one place, occupation or grade to another. When mobility of labour means shifting of labour from one locality to another, it is called geographical mobility, when it means shifting from one kind of job to another it is called horizontal mobility and when it means shifting of one grade or rank to another grade or rank it is known as vertical mobility.

Mobility of labour helps economic progress of a country. If there is free mobility of labour, the labourers who are sitting idol on account of the unemployment in particular place may easily move to a place where there is demand for their services. Thus the problem of unemployment is solved. Mobility from one trade to another helps greatly in the matter of ameliorating the distress of the workers occasioned by the temporary or permanent depression of an industry or trade. Mobility from one grade to another with in the same trade service as an incentive to the labourers for hard labour, skill and efficiency. If a labourer can move from lower to higher grade, man born of poor parents can hope to improve their prospects.

In our country, mobility of labour is generally hampered due to some factors or obstacles. The most important factors are as follows:

(i) Family attachment often discourages our labourers from moving from one place to another. This trend is now on decline.

(ii) Lack of training facilities often prevent them from shifting from one industry to another. In European countries one labourer is often found skilled in many occupations and techniques.

(iii) Lack of knowledge and information of the demand for their labour in different areas or times.

For the proper utilization of our labour force in industrializing of our country we must create opportunities of free and easy mobility of our labour.