The movement of people from villages to cities for work can cause serious problems in both places

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The movement of people from villages to cities for work can cause serious problems in both places.

What are the serious problems associated with this?

What measures can be taken to solve these problems?

Rural-to-urban migration in search of job opportunities has some negative implications for the countryside as well as cities. These problems primarily concern changing employment patterns in both areas, and they require government intervention to be solved.

The main consequence of rural migration for cities is increased competition in the labor market. An exodus of rural dwellers to urban areas for work creates a pool of cheap workforce in cities. Availability of cheap labor, in turn, means lower income and limited job opportunities for urban dwellers. Take (the transportation sector) as an example. Pay for drivers tend to drop when rural drivers willing to work for low wages move to cities, working to the detriment of urban citizens. This problem can be ameliorated by creating a dynamic job market in the countryside. This solution entails rural expansion of urban businesses and companies through tax exemptions. In doing so, the government manages to facilitate a broader range of job opportunities in rural areas, hence curbing rural migration.

Similarly, rural migration is followed by a change in the job market in the countryside. Movement of rural dwellers to cities mainly leads to shortage of labor in the agricultural sector. As a result of labor crisis in the countryside, countries are sure to experience major setbacks in food production seeing as most produce is produced in rural areas. The role of government in addressing this issue is once again pivotal. More precisely, it should offer laborers in the countryside financial incentives to prioritize farm work over other possible job options. Such incentives range from substantial pay rises to interest-free loans. Having secured a decent livelihood in the countryside, rural citizens are less likely to migrate to cities in pursuit of work.

In conclusion, while the main side-effects of rural migration are increased competition in the job market in cities and workforce shortage in rural areas, solutions require government intervention in forms of incentives to urban businesses to branch out in rural areas and to farm workers to stay in the countryside.