Gaining from Rural Migrants

Migrant Employment Strategies and Socioeconomic Implications for Rural Labour Markets

Bibliographic Data

ID5137461
AuthorsCharalambos Kasimis (Agricultural University of Athens, corresponding author), Apostolos G Papadopoulos (0000-0003-2821-3529, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, corresponding author), C Pappas (0000-0002-9727-5697, University of Ioannina, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume50
Issue3
Pages258-276
Publication date2010-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociologia Ruralis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0199 • E-ISSN: 1467-9523
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9523.2010.00515.x
OpenAlexW1797672553
LanguageEN
Citations received47
References cited13

Non-agricultural employment is expanding in many rural areas in Greece, while the agricultural sector is the main employer in a great deal of rural areas. Local labour markets are diverse although dependence on family farming, small-scale businesses, informal employment and tourist activities is constantly increasing. These developments have gradually reinforced the multifunctionality of rural areas and have brought about a demand for flexible labour power. Under these circumstances, the role of migrants has been fundamental for sustaining the multifunctional character of rural Greece, as they participate in every economic sector and their presence varies across sectors and geographical regions. Migrants should not only be conceived strictly as an agricultural labour force on the grounds that they seem to be highly mobile in rural areas. They should rather be considered more widely, as a rural labour force with multiple implications on Greek rural society and economy. The article is based on an empirical study carried out in three different localities in the Epirus region in northern Greece. On the basis of quantitative data, it analyses and interprets the multilateral, versatile impact of migrants on different rural localities. One major finding is that the contribution of migrants is crucial for the preservation of the multifunctional character of rural areas in Greece. However, migrant labour loses its collective identity by becoming increasingly individualised in its capacities, its employment conditions and its interests

Agriculture · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Political science · Population · Rural area · Rural tourism · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Tourism · Tourism geography · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies · Rural development and sustainability · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development

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