Migration to Addis Ababa: An Explanation of Reasons for Migration and Employment Status At the Destination
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Date
2000-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Urban growth in Ethiopia has been chiefly characterized by the emergence of the Primate City
Addis Ababa. The concentration of economic activities and social services in the city attract a
large number of in-migrants ji-om all over the countly. The city has been critically suffering
ji-om high unemployment and underemployment rates, shortage of housing and inadequate
sewerage and waste disposal.
The purpose of this study is to explain reasons for the persistence of the influx of migrants to
the city in spite of worsening employment opportunities and the possibility of earning of a
living in the city. The study focused on the analysis of motivational factors for migration into
the city based on the subjective responses of migrants about reasons for migration.
Furthermore, to analyze labor force participation, employment and occupational status of
migrants as compared to non-migrants in the city. In order to achieve the purpose of the study
the data used for the analysis taken ji-om the National Labor Force Survey (NLFS) conducted
by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA) in April 1999. In the data analysis part both
descriptive statistics and analytical methods were employed. The result ji-OIn this study
indicates that 46.3% of the sample population were migrants. This result is consistent with the
1994 Census result that indicates migrants constituted about 46. 7% of the total population
enumerated in the city.
Analysis of reasons for migration to the city revealed that in-migrating for search of job
constituted the highest proportion (38.9%) of all reasons cited in the study. Desire for
education accounted for 20% of all responses and was the second important factor for
migration to the city followed by moving to accompany family (8. 2%) and to live with relatives
in the city (7.0%). Motivational factors for migration depend on characteristics of individual
migrants such as sex, age, education and place of previous residence. The odds ratio
(Exp(B) =1. 6931) in the logistic regression model indicates that male migrants cited economic
reason Oob searching) more than 1.6 times that of female migrants. With respect to
rural/urban place of previous residence rural migrants are 18.6% more likely to be motivated
by economic factor than migrants ji-OI1l urban areas. As educational attainment increases
propensity of migrating to the city in search of job increases. The logistic regression resultindicates that in-migration for search of job is higher among persons attained higher level of
education than persons at lower educational attainment.
Concerning labor force participation differentials, the result revealed that about two-third
(66%) of recent migrants, nearly three-quarter (73.2%) of long-term migrants (5-9 years of
residence) and only about half (52.5%) of non-migrants were economically active during the
12 months prior to the survey. Higher proportion, about 58.7%, of recent migrants were in the
lower occupational category as compared to 38.4% of long-term migrants and 22.3% of nonmigrants
in the same occupational categoly. The logistic regression odds ratio
(Exp(B) =3.2678) indicate that the chance of being employed in the informal sector is more
than three times higher for recent migrants as compared to the non-migrants. However, as
duration of residence increased to 5-9 years and 10 years or more the odds ratios decreased
to Exp(B)=2.3924 and Exp(B)=1.4324 , respectively.
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Keywords
Migration and Employment Status