HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

SCHOOL OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL

EXTENSION

CAUSES OF RURAL –URBAN MIGRATION AND IT'S IMPACT ON

URBAN EMPLOYMENT IN WOLDIA CITY ADMINISTRATION

BY: ABAY BELETE

ID NO: 174044/12

ADVISOR: ABDU MOHAMMED

FEBRUARY 2024

HARAMAYA , ETHIOPIA
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Before and above all, I would like to express My deepest gratitude and thanks to almighty God
for everything that I have achieved throughout My life. Besides I would like to thanks all who
have stood outside from the preparation to completion of this proposal. Second gratitude was My
advisor, ABDU MOHAMMED for his unreserved contribution by giving Me advice, comment
and suggestion in every aspect of this study. my deepest thanks are also goes to my family
especially to my father and mother. I would like to say thanks for their financial and moral
supporting and unlimited effort to educate me.

Finallythanks for those who support me either by idea or material in order to accomplish this
paper.

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Table contents page

Acknowledgement.................................................................................................................................................I
Table contents page..............................................................II
List of tables........................................................................................................................................................ IV
Abstract................................................................................................................................................................ V
CHAPTER ONE.......................................................................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of The Study.............................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of The Problem.........................................................................................................................2
1.3 Objective of The Study...............................................................................................................................3
1.3.1 General objective of the study................................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Specific objective of the study.................................................................................................................3
1.4 Research Questions....................................................................................................................................4
1.5 Scope of The Study.....................................................................................................................................4
1.6 Significance of The Study............................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO......................................................................................................................................................5
2. LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Theoretical Review.....................................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Definition Concept of Migration..............................................................................................................5
2.1.2 Causes of Rural- Urban Migration...........................................................................................................5
2.1.2.1 Social Cause..........................................................................................................................................5
2.1.2.2 Physical and Environmental Factors.....................................................................................................6
2.1.2.3 Economic Causes..................................................................................................................................6
2.1.2.4 Poverty And lack Opportunities in Rural Areas....................................................................................6
2.1.2.5 Urban Job Opportunities......................................................................................................................7
2.1.2.6 Urban Informal Sector..........................................................................................................................7
2.1.3 Benefit and Cost of Urbanization.................................................................................................................7
2.1.3.1 Benefit..................................................................................................................................................7
2.1.3.2 Costs.....................................................................................................................................................8
2.1.4 Model of Rural to Urban Migration.........................................................................................................8
2.1.4.1 Migration And The Dual Sector Model.................................................................................................9

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 2.1.4.2. Family /House Hold Migration.............................................................................................................9
2.1.4.3 TodaroMigration Model.....................................................................................................................10
2.1.5 Positive and Negative Impact of Migration.........................................................................................10
2.2 Empirical Literature Review......................................................................................................................11
2.2.1. Possible solution to improve the very serious rural to urban migration and situation in less developed
countries.........................................................................................................................................................12
2.2.2. Effect of rural-urban migration on urban employment........................................................................13
CHAPTER THREE..................................................................................................................................................14
3. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY......................................................................................................................14
3.1 Description of the study area.......................................................................................................14
3.2 Data type and Sources of the data...............................................................................................14
3.3 Method of data collection...........................................................................................................14
3.4 Methods of data analysis.............................................................................................................15
3.5 Sampling techniques and sample sizes........................................................................................15
CHAPTER FOUR...................................................................................................................................................16
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSIONS.............................................................................................................................16
4.1 Characteristics of the respondents..........................................................................................16
4.1.1 Sex structure of the respondents..........................................................................................16
4.1.2 The age structure of respondents.........................................................................................16
4.1.3. The education level of the respondents..............................................................................17
4.1.4. Marital status of the respondent.........................................................................................18
4.2. The Reason For The Decision To Migrate To The Woldia City.................................................19
4.3 The Impact Of Rural To Urban Migration On Employment In The Woldia City.......................21
4.4 The Duration Stays Of Migrants...............................................................................................22
CHAPTER FIVE.................................................................................................................................................. 25
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION........................................................................................................25
5.1 Conclusion................................................................................................................................................25
5.2 Recommendation.....................................................................................................................................26
6. REFERENCE..................................................................................................................................................... 27
7. APPEDIX..........................................................................................................................................................28

.......................................................................................................................................................................

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 List of tables
Table 1.The distribution of sex respondents..............................................................................................16
Table 2. The distribution of age structure of the respondent......................................................................16
Table 3.The distribution of education level of the respondet.....................................................................17
Table 4.The proportion marital status of the respondents..........................................................................18
Table 5.The proportional reason for the decision factor to migrate to city................................................19
Table 6. Impact of rural to urban migration on urban employment...........................................................21
Table 7. Distribution of rural to urban migrants in their duration of stayration of stay..............................21
Table 8. Whether the rural to urban migration get job as soon as they reached city or not.......................22
Table 9.The reason for the lack job for the migrants as they reached at city.............................................23

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V
 ABSTRACT
The study aims at investigating rural to urban migration. this study aims to identify the major
cause and consequence of the movement of people from rural to urban areas. In most of the
contemporary rural areas, a result of rural -urban migration is rapid deterioration of the rural
economy leading to chronic poverty and food insecurity .In woldia ,the rate of migration form
rural areas to urban areas has become alarming as more people drift into the urban center .The
reasons for migration can be the economic factors, the social factors, the environment and
physical factors. The data also show that most migrant are at young adult age and educated to
get job opportunities.

It is also observed that the socioeconomic situation at the origin of acts pushing factors
moreover, degradation of the land, famine, shortage of land have put as pushing factor at a time
of migration people form their origin to urban center .

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 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
Migration is the movement of people from one geographical location to another ‘ involving
permanent or temporary settlement. Human being migrates, for political, social, and economic as
well psychological reasons. It is also believed to be the main cause for the fast growth of urban
population that has reached highest proportion in the world (Joseph, 2019). (Todaro, 2020).

Rural to urban migration is the movement of people from rural areas (village) to urban centers
(cities). One noticeable aspect in the society today is the rate at which people migrate from rural
to urban centers. While the urban center is increasing in population, the rural is decreasing in
population. The migration literature has come to regard rural to urban migration as the major
contributing factor to the ubiquitous phenomenon urban surplus labor and as a force which
continues to exacerbate already serious urban unemployment problem (Todaro,1976).

Population growth in urban areas as soared over the last few decades.Today almost half the
world population lives in cities and the number of people living in urban areas has risen steadily
by around 1 million every year (Bahns, 2005). According to a report from the United Nations
Population Division (2003), the urban population is estimated to grow at 1.8 per cent per annum,
while total population rate is projected to be 1 per cent annually. This would result in an urban
population of 5 billion, or 61 per cent, by 2030. The rural population on the other hand is
expected to decrease from 3.3 to 3.2 billion between 2003 and 2030.

Migration is two types; one is internal migration which is does not involving crossing of
international boundaries. Its volume is increasing because of the opening of mining areas,
urbanization and availability of transportation. there is a consensus that improvement in
economic circumstances is the primary motivation for internal migration (Adepoju, 1977)

Within internal migration there are different kind of population movement such as rural to urban,
rural to rural, inter regional, and urban to urban. The second types of migration is international
migration is involves crossing of international boundaries. The data of international migration is
more available than internal migration. Because of data of international migration is available
and knows at different place like parts and air station (Todaro, 2020).

After mortality and fertility, migration is considered as third factor in bring change in the size
and structure of population of any given areas. Hence, migration simply the form of changing
residence from one administrative unit to another. But the general definition for migration is
situational depending on the investigation needs, the purpose of the study and the various set of
data utilized (Standing G, 2020).

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The pull and push factors influence rural –urban migration. The condition in rural areas among
encourages or reinforcement people to find better job opportunities.

According to Torum (2002).the interplay of both push and pull factor at the point of origin and
destination stimulate migration .the push factor ,which cause migration include :political
fear ,lack of food, unemployment ,etc. Similarly the pull factor are the desire to better life ,job
opportunity ,improved living condition and others .

At the same time in towns are amenities that are not available in the country side. Among the
pull and push factors the main is economic factor. The factor includes rural poverty, the different
in living standard between rural and urban, population pressure and shortage and the desire to
break away from tradition organization obligation in the country side and to get the greater social
freedom of the town (IBID).

In Ethiopia rural –urban migration has been the basic factor for population of growth of urban
centers. The countries rates for rural to urban migration have shows a linear increasing from time
to time particularly since 20 century. Consequence urban population in absence of corresponding
has already become a great problem in Ethiopia (Kerbed, 2019) Ethiopia is serious case, with
population distribution that contests’ greatly too many countries. Despite its large rural
population , internal migration in country is relatively low , rural –urban migrants make up just
16% of the population compared to 365 in the enter sub-Sahara Africa (world bank ,2019).

1.2 Statement of The Problem

Migration might harmful effects on city. Many migrants create difficult to provide housing, job
and other essential services, thus reducing the effectiveness of the city. In addition rural migrant
are in difficulties in making social adjustment necessary for life in urban areas (Todaro, 2020).

The primary problem seen in the city as a result of rural to urban migration is unemployment.
Because of inability of government to accommodate the migrant demand and expecting such as
job, services, political instability may occur. Migration has different effect on planning and so
rural to urban migration may alter forecasting of both population and their level of associated age
structure, forecasting of demand for such age related services are recreational, educational
facilities and future growth(Todaro, 2020).

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Among the factors that are responsible for population change the migration is the most difficult
to conceptualize and measure. Like that fertility and mortality, migration affects size, growth,
structure, characteristics and distribution of population and volume of labor force. Rural to urban
migration in Ethiopia contributed for half of the growth of urban population. It is true that most
migrant move to the fast growth city’ in Ethiopia it is known that population census has been
conducted once in ten years and reports the total number of migrants dwelling in the city. When
population in the city increasing, it create a problem for population planning and social service
such as roads, education, health facilities, water, and electric power and so on(ballachew, 2019).

The research conducted on this related issues before only focus on rural to urban migration
exacerbate scarce of natural resource like land, water, and forest contributes to accelerate
environmental and natural – urban migration and its impact on urban employment. Therefore this
study would try to fulfill this gap by incorporating the rural to urban migration its causes and
impact on urban employment.

1.3 Objective of The Study

1.3.1 General objective of the study
The general objective of the study is to investigate rural to urban migration its causes and
impacts on urban employment in case of woldia city administration.

1.3.2 Specific objective of the study

• To identify the factors that motivates people of rural areas to migrate Woldiacity .

• To assess the connection between rural to urban migration and urban employments in the
study area during the duration stays of migrant .

• To find out major problems that encounter in rural area.

1.4 Research Questions

• What are the factors which motivate people of rural areas to migrate to Woldia city?

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• What arer the connection between rural to urban migration and urban employment in
the study area during the duration stays of migrant .

• What are the major problem that encounter in rural area

1.5 Scope of The Study

Migration as it is known is everywhere. However, to the vast areas it needs to take time enough
money, and detailed data about perception and attitude of the society to reach to concrete
conclusion, but since all these factor not feasible or beyond of our capacity, the study areas that
is Woldia city and respondent are taken from the city.

1.6 Significance of The Study

The paper may have valuable information the general outlook of migration particularly rural to
urban migration in Woldia city. In addition, the paper might give certain information about the
problem of migration. Lastly, the paper might to be taken as basis for further study or to
stimulate further research in this area by provide certain fact about the problem of migration.

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 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Review
2.1.1 Definition Concept of Migration
Various theoretical approaches have been developed in the treatment of rural to urban migration.
One of the among such approaches is economic theory of migration. The economic theory of
migration see migration as an important form of resource distribution of labor and that decision
to migrate is reached based on primary of private rational economic calculation by individual
migrant after weighting the gain and losses at both placed on origin and destination
(Gugler,2019).

Theoretical evidence from less developed countries however, indicates that in many cases the act
of net effects of migration has been to shift unemployment and under employment from rural to
urban sector. The decision to migration as an investment decision involves an individual
expected cost and return over the time. Cash of income incurred both monetary and non-
monetary such as expense for transportation, loss of property and for gone income. Similarly,
return from migration includes both monetary and non monetary components. However, the
component of the human investment theories are difficult measure and limited in general income
differential (Todaro, 2020).

2.1.2 Causes of Rural- Urban Migration

2.1.2.1 Social Cause
According Jordan (2019) migration put both pull and push related to education. The absence of
higher education facilities in rural areas motivate to leave the rural areas and to move urban
areas. The other factor for movement of people is the desire for modern and better housing,
medical services and more infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity, sewage disposal etc
in the city.

According to kebele (2019) the following area of problem are responsible in Ethiopia for
publishing people from rural-urban.

• Land fragmentation

• Improper farming practices, deforestation, overgrazing.

• Populations pressure on rural land in some part the countries.

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2.1.2.2 Physical And Environmental Factors
Ethiopia faces the complex challenges reserving the trend of depletion and degradation of its
natural resources. Ethiopia is the country where land and soil degradation has reached at
catastrophic levels. It is estimated that approximately 32 ton of soil that are denuded from some
part of highland of Ethiopia are believed to irreversible conditions.The rapid rate of
environmental deterioration that has been experienced in the country has been aggravated by
cyclical drought condition. Consequently the intensity of migration from environment of
declining capacity to those which are perceives to be relatively better has increased (Assefa,
2019).

2.1.2.3 Economic Causes

According to Jordan (2019) most people move from rural to urban areas probably for economic
reason. The explanation is the differences between rural and urban income. On the other hand the
most deriving factor is unemployment and shortage of land for cultivation.

2.1.2.4 Poverty And lack Opportunities in Rural Areas

Poverty is still one of the most serious problems in the world. Many existing development
polices takes poverty alleviation in to consideration, which has too much economic advancement.
It is estimated that over one billion people in the world still live poverty. In developing countries,
urban poverty is persistent, with the major often living in rural areas. Hence, it is in those that
poverty alleviation policies should be concentrated (World Bank, 2019). When generalizing about
the poverty in rural areas dispersed all over the poor regions. Among majority groups, women and
children accounts for the largest percentages (Todaro, 2020).

About two third of the poor in rural area get by and sustain their lives with subsistence farming
either as small farmer or working on land owned by other person . The other one third is
engaged in small scale activities. Poverty profile for developing countries characterized the poor
has being agricultural house hold with in little arable land (Beyer 2019).

2.1.2.5 Urban Job Opportunities

Employment in urban areas can fall under two broad categories. The first formal sector and the
secondly the informal sectors.The formal sector characterized all activities that are recognized by
the government as being legal in nature and providing tax revenue. Traditional occupations such

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as, banking, office creeks, and plumping would fall under this category. These job trends to pay
more than job in the informal sector.But find it difficult to do so. They need to have a certain level
of education to be able to come with the urban resident for those jobs. workers’ productivity and
income tend to higher in the formal sector than informal sector. Worker in the formal sector enjoy
job security, proper working condition and retirement person (Todaro, 2020).

2.1.2.6 Urban Informal Sector

The urban informal sector, unlike its informal country part, includes all activities that are
unregulated and small scale in a nature. Not much attention was given this unregulated,
unorganized and mostly illegal sector. Observation were made, in several developing counties that
certain labor market activities failed to show up the statistics relevant in the formal modern
sector. The majority of the new worker in the urban labor force seemed to create their own
employment and start their own business, or work for small scale family run enterprise. Self-
employments were engaged in a variety of activities such as shopping, selling drug and selling
fireworks (Todaro, 2020).

The majority of the workers entering to the informal sector are recent rural migrant who are
unable to find jobs in the formal sector. The main reason for taking part in the informal sector is
to use what little skill they have to earn enough income to sustain their daily lives. Urban informal
sector activities can be labor intensive (Todaro, 2020).

2.1.3 Benefit and Cost of Urbanization

2.1.3.1 Benefit
Economies of scales arise as result of economic growth. When supplier and consumer are in
closer proximity to each other, this allows for saving in communication and transportation costs.
Large cities also offer a variety of employment opportunities with higher wage, all of which may
help accelerate the pace of technological innovation. Urban growth also allows government to
provide service such as sanitation, water supply, electricity, and transportation more effective
(Gurgler, 2019).

2.1.3.2 Costs
Against these benefit a major consequence of rural to urban migration is excessive urbanization.
There is very strong link between excessive urbanization and rural- urban migration. Migration

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has increased urban population significantly over the years. A common view held by policy
makers and economists in developing countries is those urban growth rates are excessive.

This view brought about by large number of unemployed young people in many Asia, Africa and
Latin America cities. Most economists, however, believe that urbanization is inevitable
consequence of rural stagnation and successful economic development not undesirable force that
must be suppressed. Migration instead should be recognized as an equilibrium response to
disequilibrium elsewhere in the economy (Todaro, 2020).

The cost travel associated with large cities begins to rise urbanization becomes excessive,
because congestion take place which wastes resource such as a time and fuel. The expansion of
cities causes the costs of providing basic services deteriorate rapidly. Excessive urbanization and
the problem associated with it are all examples negative externalities. Negative externalities leads
to market inefficiency, which would cause market failure to occur. In case of urbanization, market
failure can come in the form of excessive urbanization, or city sizes that are above the socially
desirable level (Samuel son, 2019).

2.1.4 Model of Rural to Urban Migration

To provide a theoretical argument for rural to urban migration three model of rural to urban
migration will be presented. These are:

• Migration and dual sector model of economic development

• The family / house hold migration model

• The Todaro migration model

These models give alternative insight for the reason why migration takes place. The Lewis dual
sector model basically state that there are two sectors, Agriculture and industry. There is excess
labor in rural agricultural sector; therefore, people migrate to industrial sector to obtain
employment. Secondly, the family /house hold migration model state that migration is rarely an
individual decision, immediate and extended family plan an important role of when marking the
decision to migration. Finally, Todaro model of migration state that migration is mostly on
economic decision which decision find rational even with the existence of urban unemployment
(Samuel son, 2019).

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2.1.4.1 Migration And The Dual Sector Model
The Lewis dual sector model has two main sectors such as agricultural/ rural sector and
industrial/ urban sector which has a high demand for labor and offer wage that are higher than
the rural areas. Lewis assumed the agricultural sector to be purely subsistence characterized by
surplus labor, low productivity, low income and considerable under employment same portion
rural labor force where assumed to be surplus nature, contributing nothing to output. Industrial
sector assumed to be technological advanced with high level of investment in urban environment
(Todaro, 2020).

By offering slightly higher wage in the industrial sector many worker from the rural sector are
attracted. Wage here only has to be slightly higher than the average agricultural productivity in
order to attract the surplus labor to the cities. At this wage in industrial sector, the supply of labor
is said to be elastic, since as long as there is surplus labor in sector in no upward pressure on the
wage in industrial sector (IBID).

2.1.4.2. Family /House Hold Migration

Household migration can be divided into two categories such as split and family migration. Split
migration occurred when the head of the house hold move from rural to urban, then the rest of
his/her family follows at a later date. Family migrations occur when the entire family moves
together at the same time to urban areas. The reason for split migration may be that the family
would want to take on less cost. If house hold goes to urban sector himself. Initially he doesn’t
have to worry about his family’s survival while he is in searching of employment. The family can
stay in rural sector and continue doing their miscellaneous task provide subsistence for
themselves, until the households findings employment and able to pay for his family to pay him in
the city (Samuel son, 2019).

2.1.4.3 Todaro Migration Model

The main idea of the Todaro model is that migration is mostly an economic decision, which an
individual find rational even with the existence of urban employment. The Todaro model states
that urban rural difference in expected income rather than the actual earning leads to migration.
Individual look at the employment opportunities that are available to them in rural and urban
sector, and choose the one that give them gain from migration (Todaro, 2020).

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According to Todaro , the theory assumed that members of the labor force, both actual and
potential compared their expected incomes for a given time period in the urban sector (the
different between returns and cost of migration) with prevailing average rural income and
migrate if the former exceeded the later. But the reality of the situation in that in many developing
countries there is a chronic unemployment problem, so migrants can not to find high paying urban
employment as soon as they enter to the city. What would probably end up happening is that
many unskilled and unemployment migrants up on arrival in the city would either be
unemployment or find employment in the urban informal sector. On the other hand, migrant with
marketable skill and secondary or tertiary education will have a better change of securing a high
paying urban job, many will find jobs in the formal sector quickly faced with the high rate of
unemployment in urban areas and the probability of the underemployment and being unemployed
for an extended period the migrant must consider the risks and weight them against positive urban
real income difference (IBID).

Todaro goes on to say that just because a typical migrant who obtain a job in the urban formal
sector expected to earn twice the amount he would than of he stayed in rural sector, doesn’t mean
much if the actual probability of getting a higher paying job is one chance in five in one year time
period,(IBID .

2.1.5 Positive and Negative Impact of Migration

Negative impact: migration to urban area increase urban population and hence, unplanned
urban expansion with insufficient supply of social service like housing, electricity, water supply,
paper sewage system of network and transport and other environmental stress make hard in
urban center. Increased number of people certainly put pressure on the available and stagnant
public service, health service and education service have been particular burden with a huge
demand, causing over crowed urban center (Samuel son, 2019).

Positive impact: migration of people from dispersed, rural mostly agrarian to cities is per quite
for development of a more concentrated urban industrial society. The migration people raises
economic efficient by facilitating special reorganization and allocation of human resource.
Migration is an important to allocate income disparities among different region and between and
rural areas in an economy (IBID).

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 2.2 Empirical Literature Review
Abebe (2019) has pointed the cause of the unemployment in Woldia city. According to this
finding results, the rapid urban population growth (change) aggravated the urban –unemployment
problem by making in creating sustainable job opportunities and the number of economic
established are too few to abroad the large portions economically active population.
Furthermore, rural-urban migration is one of the components of population change; it is making
the urban employment problem more serious because of migration and additional number of the
active on the existing labor force. In the Woldia city individual migrate from the Surrounding
region, therefore, it will be harder for the existing sector to afford all labor force.

Rural to urban migration is the most important movement that contributes to urbanization. The
relative important of rural-urban migration and urban-urban migration in the urban concentration
vary from region to region and from country to country. In the Latin America, people move
directly from rural area to urban center represented a small fraction of that total migration; the
rural-urban migration is the most preponderance type of migration responsible for the growth of
cities in sub-Sahara Africa (Bkri Gore, 2019).

During the last decades, Ethiopia economy went through deep economic crisis, which had
adverse impact on the urban employments opportunities and living standard of the urban people.
The high urban unemployment is manifestation of an ineffective utilization of the availability of
man power, slow economic growth and poor education system. Currently there is high and over
growing demands for the urban employment opportunities in the country that for exceeds the
supply (Abebe, 2019).

The past few decades have wetness a rapid place of urban population concentration in
developing countries of Africa. For example, in Ghana, the urban population in the 1960 was 23%
of total population. The concern have emanated from that bulk of the urban population is
constructed migrate from the rural area in the country side. The loss of rural population to urban
center is often be moaned for its implied adverse effect on rural development. The consequence of
rural-urban migration have been noted with demand for urban socioeconomic amenities
exceeding supply , the urban area problem such as overcrowding , congestion, adequate house
and, high rate of urban unemployment (Bakri Gore, 2019).

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 2.2.1. Possible Solution To Improve The Very Serious Rural To Urban Migration And
Situation In Less Developed Countrie
A. Creating an appropriate rural-urban economic balance:more appropriate balance between
rural and urban economic opportunities appears to be indispensable to reduce both rural and urban
unemployment problems and to slow rural to urban migration. The trust of his activity should
integrated development of rural sector, the spread of small scale industries throughout the country
side and the reorientation of the economic activity and social investment toward the rural area.

B. Expansion of small scale, labor intensive industries: the composition of the output has
obvious effect on the magnitude of urban employment opportunities because some product
requires more labor per unit output and per unit of capital than other. Expansion of these mostly
small scale and labor intensive industries in the rural and urban areas can be accomplished in to
two ways: directly through government investment and indirectly, through income redistribution
to the rural poor.

C. Eliminating of factor price distribution : there is simple evidence to demonstrate that

correcting factor price distortion primary by eliminating various capital subsides and curtaining
the growth of urban wage through market based pricing would increase employment opportunities
and make better use of scare capital resource.

D. Choose the appropriate labor intensive technology of production: one of the principal
factors in habiting the success of any Long run program of employment creation both in urban
industries and rural infrastructure is the most complete technological dependence developing
nation on imported machinery and equipment from the developed countries. .

E. Reducing population growth: it can be done through reduction absolute poverty and
inequality, particularly for women, along with the expanded provision of family planning and
rural health services (Jordan,(2019).

2.2.2. Effect Of Rural-Urban Migration On Urban Employment

The major consequence of the rapid urbanization, process has been the increasing supply of job
seeker into the informal and formal sector of the urban economy. In many developing countries,

12
the supply workers for exceed the demand, the result being extremely of high rate of
unemployment and under unemployment in the urban areas. Internal migration was thought to be
a natural process in which surplus of labor was gradually withdraw from the rural sector to
provide needed manpower for urban industrial growth. It is also now clear from recent less
developed countries experience that the rate of rural – urban migration continued to exceed the
rate of urban job creation and to surplus greatly the observation greatly the absorption capacity
of both industrial and urban social service (Todaro, 2020).

Migration exacerbate these rural to urban imbalance into two ways, first, the supply side, internal
migration disproportional increase the growth of urban job seekers relative to urban population
growth which itself is at historical unprecedented level, because of high proportion of well-
educated young people in migrant system. Their presence tends to well the urban labor supply
while depleting the rural country side of valuable human capital (Samuel son 2019).

Second, on the demand side, urban job creation is generally more difficult and costly to
accomplish then rural job creation because of the end for the substantial complimentary input for
most jobs in the industrial sector. Moreover, the presence of rising urban wage and compulsory
employee fringe benefit in combination with availability of appropriate more labor intensive
production technologies means that arising share of modern output growth is accounted for by
increase in labor production (IBID)

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 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Description Of The Study Area
Woldiais found in Amhara regional state, north Wollo zone. Woldia city of country Ethiopia lies
on the geographical coordinates of 11° 50' 0" N, 39° 41' 0" E. Woldia is located 521 km from
Addis Ababa. Woldia is a town, woreda, and capital of the North Wollo Zone in northern
Ethiopia. Located north of Dessie and southeast of Lalibela in the Amhara Region, this town has
an elevation of 2112 meters above sea level.

Today, besides its potential attractions, Woldia already has a significant flow of tourist traffic
because of its location on the main historic route of the country. This is to say that the town is
located at a juncture that leads to Lalibella, Gondar and Bahir Dar on the one hand and Axum,
Mekel and Afar region on the other. Also, significant numbers of business traveler pass through
the city every day on their way to or from Addis Ababa, Dessie, Semera, Mekelle, Djibouti,
Gondar and Bahir Dar.

3.2 Data Type And Sources Of The Data

The analysis of the study would be depending on primary source of data. The study specifically
focus on questionnaires .

3.3 Method Of Data Collection

Based on the research problem and objective ,both primary and secondary data source were
used .but the study specifically ,focus on primary data source .more specifically ,the selected
method to collect the necessary data are questionnaire .The questionnaire which includes open -
ended and closed ended types .

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3.4 Methods Of Data Analysis
Data analysis consists of examining ,categorized ,tabulating or otherwise recombining the
evidence to address the initial proposition of a study .after the completion of data collection ,the
researcher edited ,coded ,classified and tabulated the data.since the purpose of editing is to detect
error and omission (Kothari,2006),the researcher made a careful inspection of the completed
questionnaires during the collection of the questionnaire from each enumerator .since coding is
necessary for efficient analysis the researcher primarily made coding decision during the
designing stage of the questionnaire .Kothari (2006) described the purpose of coding as to assign
the items in certain categories and according to the researchers categorized the item of
questionnaire based on the stated objective.
3.5 Sampling Techniques And Sample Sizes
The study would be uses different methods such as interviewing sample technique and
questionnaire methods. To conduct the research took 40 respondents of migrants randomly.
Woldia city has ten kebele but the study would select only four kebeles and in two kebeles 20
respondents would selected and in other two also 20 respondents would selected by using simple
random sampling technique. The main intention select four kebele and 20 respondents form
each ,woldia city had 10 kebele and out of those 4 kebele were selected will consider as a
representative of those 10 kebele and unable to select all of them.

the technique were used to select the sampling are random sampling technique it's the type of
probability sampling in which the researcher randomly select a subset of respondent from the
population .

15
 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSIONS

4.1 Characteristics Of The Respondents

Migration studies consistently found that propensity to migrate is related to sex, age, education,
and marital status.

4.1.1 Sex structure of the respondents

Table 1.The distribution of sex respondents

Sex Number of Percentages

respondents
Male 20 50%
Female 20 50%
Total 40 100%
Source: own survey (2024)

According to the above table 50% of the respondents are male and 50% of the respondents are
female are equal involvement in the rural to urban migration .The females respondents employed
in government sectors and self-employed such as bakeries, beauty salon, traditional drinking and
many of them are employed.

The males respondents employed in government sectors and self-employed such as shoeshine,
barber, work in hotel, etc. and many of them are employed.

4.1.2 The Age Structure Of Respondents

Table 2. The distribution of age structure of the respondent

Age structure Number of respondent

Male Female Total Percentage
Adolescent(15- 6 3 9 22.5%
19) year
Young adult age 12 15 27 67.5%
(20-39) year
Old age(>40) 2 2 4 10%

16
 year
Total 20 20 40 100%
Source: own survey (2024)

According to the above data migrants the most of migrants was in young adult group, whose
percentage consisted 67.5% since it’s predominately the young people who are more prone move
more than all other age groups, such as for adolescent ages are 22.5% and old age are 10%. The
propensity to migrate tends to decrease with increasing age. Now a day many young people leave
the home without any permission.

Most of the migrant left their home when they were in the young adult age .That is 67.5% of the
respondent asserted that they left their former residence when they were in the young adult
age .This was because the fact that they can adjust themselves to when the new environment
more easily than other age groups .Furthermore, migrants will maximized long term expected
earnings by moving early during the most productive age.On the other hand, 22.5% of the
respondent asserted that the left their home when the in adolescent age however the remaining of
10% of the respondent left their former residence when they were above 40 years old .That is the
minimum proportion because of the older people tend develop strong attachment to their
property and family .The jobs for people over 40 years old age are very difficult to find the job
because the most available jobs required human labor and depend on physical fitness.

4.1.3. The Education Level Of The Respondents.

Table 3.The distribution of education level of the respondet.

Education level Number of respondent Percentage

Male Female Total

Illiterate 6 8 14 35%
Primary school 4 5 9 22.5%
Secondary school 8 5 13 32.5%
College/university 1 3 4 10%

17
 Total 19 21 40
100%
Source: own survey (2024)

According to the above data the studies have demonstrated that there is direct relationship
between the educated and the propensity to migrate. In all societies, the educated are 65% more
mobile than the less educated or illiterate 35% .Most of the respondent are literate which account
for 65% of them .This shows that the educated are more likely to migrate since they can get
relatively higher income in urban center for their life .The above data illustrated 35% of the
respondent are illiterate, while 22.5% within primary level, 32.5% in secondary school, and the
remaining 10% are college/university. Most of them are literate and they migrated since there are
no adequate education facilities in rural areas .Concerning sex as can be seen in above table
female migrate are more illiterate than male migrate .This is mainly because of female are
imposed to different social, cultural and influence by the societies which restricts female to home
duties.

4.1.4. Marital Status Of The Respondent

Table 4.The proportion marital status of the respondents

Marital status Number of respondents Percentage

Single 21 52.5%
Married 14 35%
Divorced 3 7.5%
Widowed 2 5%
Total 40 100%

Source:own survey (2024)

According to the above data the migrants are largely concerned in young adult age, the majority
of them are likely to be single. 52.5% of the respondents replied that they were single when they
arrive .

Unmarried respondent migrate from rural to urban for job opportunity . In rural area there is no
better job suitable for individuals. But in urban area due to the presence of better job opportunity.

18
so an individual have an opportunity for different type of jobs. So an individual had migrated
from rural to urban due to desirable job.

35% of the respondent replied that were married when they are migrate. The married migrants
are depending up on their false assumption this means the expectation of better way of life in
urban, which implies their assumption uncertain or may be false. and by assuming there is high
job opportunities in urban rather than in rural.

On the other hand the minimum that is 5%of the respondent asserted that their partners are end
or widowed. Widowed respondent migrated for escape the fear of the faced situation that is
within the area he lived and for the sake of next alternative choices. The remaining 7.5% of the
respondent are divorced when they migrated to city. The divorced migrants they migrates from
rural to urban because of psychological well being from community criticism. In fact be single
can easy migrate from their family and adopt them in better way to the new environment since
there is no other person to be supported by them.

4.2. The Reason For The Decision To Migrate To The Woldia City
The most important factors for rural to urban migration are the economic and the high rate of
unemployment, lack of infrastructure in rural area and lack of suitable land for farming in the
rural area as the most influential one. The reasons for migration can be the economic factor, the
social factors, the environmental and physical factors and so on. From these factors the economic
factors are the most common reason to decide to migrate to the city areas.

Table 5.The proportional reason for the decision factor to migrate to city.

Number Type of reason Number of respondent Percentage

1 Economic Factors 26 65%
Absence of farm 3 7.5%
oxen
To get better job 15 37.5%
opportunity
Shortage of farm 2 5%
land
Difference in 4 10%

19
 income
Other economic 2 5%
factors
2 Social factor 8 20%
3 Environmental and 5%
Physical factor 2
Soil erosion 2 5%
4 Other factors 4 10%

T0tal 40 100%

Source: own survey (2024)

According to the above table 65% of the respondents of asserted that the decisive factor for their
migration are economic reasons such as 7.5% by the absence of farm oxen, 5% by the shortage
of farm land, 37.5% to get better job opportunities, 5% by other economic factors, and 10% by
the difference in income in rural and urban areas .We can understand that most these migrants
are migrate to get better job opportunities. This is because in country side there is no job
opportunities other than farming.

Similarly to the above item to indicates that 20% of the respondent asserted that the decisive
factors for their migration are social (pull) factors .The factor may be the absence of higher
education in the rural areas, modern and better housing in the city, medical and infrastructural
facilities.

On the other hand, 5% of the respondent replied that they migrated to the due to environmental
and physical (push) factor such as soil erosion and land degradation.

Finally, the remaining 10% of the respondents asserted other reason like death relative, break
away from unhappy marriages etc. Thus we can understand from the above table most of the
people move from rural areas to city mainly for economic reasons.

20
4.3 The Impact Of Rural To Urban Migration On Employment In The Woldia
City.
Table 6. Impact of rural to urban migration on urban employment

Types of impact Number of respondents Percentages

Unemployment increases 24 60%
Scarcity of infrastructure in 10 25%
urban area
Urban population increases 6 15%
Total 40 100%

Source: own survey (2024)

Since the employment opportunity is better is the city than in the rural area, a large proportion of
the rural to urban migrants comes to the Woldiacity for the searching of jobs. However the
employment opportunities are not as good as the rural to urban migrants tends to believes at the
beginning. One of the most common problems for migrants the adaptation of the new
environments was the encounter great difficulty finding jobs .From this 60% of the respondents
were causes for unemployment in urban area .25% of the respondents were cause for lack of
infrastructure in the urban area, due to high migration from rural to urban, in urban area it creates
scarcity of infrastructure.Due to urban to urban migration urban population increases by 15%
respectively.

Generally, in case of rural to urban migration unemployment 60%, scarcity of infrastructure in

urban area by 25% and population by 15% were increases respectively.

4.4 The Duration Stays Of Migrants

Table 7. Distribution of rural to urban migrants in their duration of stayration of stay

Distribution of rural to urban Number of respondent Percentage

migrants in their duration of
stayration of stay

Less than 2 years 19 47.5%

21
 2-3 years 14 35%
Above 4 years 7 17.5%
Total 40 100%
Source: own survey (2024)

From the above table the duration stays of the migrants in city categorized into three forms. This,
most of the migrants come to city at the recent time. Based on the above table 47.5% of the
respondents asserted that they come to urban very recently less than two years

We can understand that the majority of the respondent have less than three years duration stay in
city. This is due to involvement of new construction and the presence job opportunities that are
opened in the city, only 17.5% of the respondents have above four years duration stay in the city.
Moreover, 35% of the respondents have from two-three years of duration stay in city .Generally
from this simple data we observed that rural to urban migration rate increases from time to time
in city.

From the above table, rural to urban migrant of the city have different level relation with dweller
of the city. We can understand that 30% of the respondent replied that they have very good
relation. Moreover, 35% of the respondents have good relation with dweller of the city and
22.5% of the respondent replied that they have medium relation with the dweller of the city.

Finally the remaining of the respondents asserted low relation with dweller of the city. We
conclude the most of the migrant good relation good relationship with the dweller of the city.
When there are good relationship between migrants and dweller of the city good chance for
creating job opportunities and by establishing small and micro enterprise.

Table 8. Whether the rural to urban migration get job as soon as they reached city or not.

Alternative Number of Total respondent

respondent
under different
type jobs
Formal sector Informal sector In number In percentage
Yes 6 9 15 37.5%
No 0 0 25 62.5%

22
 Total 6 9 40 100%
Source: own survey (2024)

Table 8 shows as about whether the migrant get job as they reached at the different sector of
economies or not. From this 25 migrants who’s accounted for 62.5% of the respondents didn’t
have a job as they reached in city. Only 15 migrants who get jobs 9 respondents were engaged on
the informal sector while the remaining 6 respondents were engaged on the formal sector. From
the employed of the migrants informal sector greater than formal sector, because of majority of
the migrants are unskilled labor forces and under developed of private sector in the
city.Generally, the majority of the migrants didn’t get job as they as they reached as the expected
before.

Table 9.The reason for the lack job for the migrants as they reached at city.

alternative reasons Number of respondents Percentage

unavailability of job 5 20%
Competition because of 13 52%
presence many migrants and
less employment
the job which is available is 7 28%
beyond your skill and
experience
Total 25 100%
Source: own survey (2024)

As explained earlier 25 respondent didn’t get the job as they reached city These rural to urban
migrants face different reasons such as unavailability of jobs, which are availability are beyond
their skill experiences but many migrants are unskilled labor force and failure government sector
job for unskilled the reason their lack of job at the time is unavailability of jobs. Moreover 52%
of the respondents who didn’t get job replied that reason for the lack of job as they reached in the
competition because the presence of many migrant and less employment opportunities. The
remaining 28% of the respondent who didn’t get job as they reached the city replied that the

23
reasons for their lack of job as they reached presence of job which is beyond their skill and
experience and many migrants are haven’t experiences and skills.

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion
The study deals with the study survey of rural to urban migration in Woldia city. The population
pressure that aggravated poverty in rural area can explain the limitation of agricultural sector in
rural areas can explain the limitation of agricultural sector in providing adequate economic
opportunities to the growing population among other.

Environmental degradation resulting from overcrowding and overgrazing has also act as push
factor in generating rural to urban migration. Recently rural to urban migration has effect on

24
unemployment problem in Woldia city. It was also true that rural to urban migration increases, it
leads to the emergence of high unemployment, shortage of infrastructure in urban areas and
number of urban population increases. This is because of the creation of employment could not
cope with the high rate of migration. Large scale of rural to urban migration is associated with
different socioeconomic problem in the destination areas. Moreover, the majority of the
respondents replied that they faced problem during adjustment to the new environmental.

From the results of the study it is conclude that most people left their original places and come to
city because of economic reason such as to get better job opportunities. With respect to age
structure young adult or productive segment of the population are revealed the most portion of
the migrants. In relation to marital status quite a significant portion of rural to urban migrants
were found to the single.There is a direct relationship between education and the propensity of
migration. According to the respondents the educated are more mobile than the less educated.
The majority of the employed respondents asserted that, they are employed in less paid jobs and
also indicated that some of them couldn’t get better job even they get, the amount of income they
earn couldn’t cover the means of living. The majority of the migrant didn't get as they reached as
they expected before. The main reason for their lack of job as they reached is the completion
because of the presence of many migrants and less employment opportunities. Generally, from
the simple data one can deduce that rural to urban migration rate increase from time to time in
city.

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5.2 Recommendation
The consequences of rural to urban migration have brought about unemployment and shortage of
social amenities. Thus, the concerned body should try to increase socioeconomic facilities by
participating different governmental and non-governmental organization to mitigate the
problems in order to benefit from consequences of level urban migration.

Large scale of rural to urban migration creates excess human labor in the destination area and it
is a loss of productive segments of the population for the area of origin. There are different
measures that can be employed to curb rural to urban migration.

These measures include:

• Creating hierarchies of small and medium site city’s side by side with the rural
development. These are essential for provision of different services to the rural areas.

• Passing information to the perspective migrants about condition of destination is

important.

• Preparation of soil conservation measures to minimize the server erosion so as to a

balance environmental conditions and reduce drought problem.

• Expansion of rural development program that generate employment opportunities in rural

area and perhaps reduce that the pace of rural to urban movements.

• Improving the income condition of the rural population through maximizing agricultural
productivity.

• Expansion of different rural projects like family planning which could lower population
growth rate.

• Establishing different social facilities for rural people such as school, health center and
transportation

26
 6. REFERENCE
• AbebeTemene 2006 International migration and urbanization in Ethiopia in preceding the
conference population issue in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

• Adepoju1977 ,motivation for internal migration .

• Asseffa .H/mariam, 2003, population growth, environment and agriculture in Ethiopia, Addis
Ababa.

• Bahns 2005 ,total population in united nation.

• BakriGori 1999, urban growth in Africa population and development.

• Bellachews Haile 2002, towards an understanding urban growth in Ethiopia and Africa.

Beyer.H1999, the urban exploitation in Latin American continent in the process of

modernization.

• Gugler, J 2000, migration to urban center in internal migration, to a new world.

• Harris J. and Todaro 2003, economic development.

• Jordan 2003, health and environmental problem in the cities of developing countries in
population distribution and migrations.

• Jordan .G, 2003, population policy research priority in developing country , New York

• Kebedemamo 1999 migration and urbanization in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

• (Kothari,2006),describe the purpose coding and categories of data.

• .Samuelson, 2006 health and environmental in the cities of developing countries in

population distribution and migration.

• Torum,2002,push and pull factor influence rural to urban migration.

• World Bank, 2008 world urbanization prospect.

• Standing .G 1994, conceptualizing territorial mobility in migration survey in low income

country.

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 7. APPEDIX
Questionnaires

This questionnaire is prepared to collect data and necessary information toward the title of rural
to urban migration its causes and impact on urban employment in Woldia city administration in
Woldia city to writes a senior essay on partial fulfillment of the course of research to acquire
bachelor’s art in public administration and development management.

• Demographic characteristics of respondent.

• Sex of respondent. A. Male B.Female

• Age of respondent A. between 15-19 year B. 20-39 year C. Above 40 year

• Education level of respondent

• illiterate C. primary school

• secondary school D. College/ university

• Factor that influence rural to urban migration

• What condition forced you to leave you former residence place?

• Economic factors

• Absence of farm oxen

B. To get better job opportunities

C. Shortage of farm land

D. Difference in income

E. Other economic reason

8. Social factors

9. Environmental and physical factors

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 A. Soil erosion

10. At the time you reach at the city, did you get job soon?

A. yes B. no

11. If you answer for the question no. 10 is yes, what type of job had you been engaged?

A. formal B. informal

12. If you answer for question no. 10 is No what is the reason?

A. unavailability of job

B. the competition because of presence of many migrant and less employment

opportunities

C. The job which available is beyond you skill and experience

13. Did you face a problem during the adjustment to annual environment?

A. yes B. No

14. After were employed you income and expense are

A. relatively equal income and expense

B. Better income than expense

C. Less income than expense

15. How long have you been here in this city?

A. Less than two years

B. 2-3 year

C. above 4 years

29
 16. When you compare you current income level and the income level your former residence?

17. How about the relationship between you and dweller of the city?

A. very good relationship C. low relationship

B. good relationship D. medium relationship

18. Rural to urban migration, what types of impact on urban employment?

A. unemployment increases

B. scarcity of infrastructure in urban area

C. urban population increase

30