By Dr. Ashraf Zainabi

One of my mentors, Emeritus Professor S. A. Abbasi, once said, keen observation is the key to producing authentic results and conclusions. This explains that observation is the most authentic source of understanding any natural, social, psychological or economic dynamics.

It is March 2025. In Kashmir, March witnesses vibrant activities in agriculture, construction and other sectors. A keen observer in Kashmir today would notice an unmistakable trend. I too have this habit of observing around (people, politics, education, and the environment). I observed, while much of the local labor workforce remains indoors during the early months of the year, migrant workers/laborers from other states have already taken over labor-intensive spaces in Kashmir. By mid-February 2025, thousands of migrant workers have arrived, setting to work each morning at 8 AM, while indigenous laborers remain largely absent from these job sectors. This phenomenon raises several questions about the work culture, economic dependencies, sociocultural factors, and policy implications surrounding the labor force in Kashmir.

Why do migrants dominate Kashmir’s labor market? Is it purely about wages, or are there deeper differences in work ethic and economic drive? Are there alternative income sources that make locals less inclined toward hard labor? And most importantly, does the influx of migrant labor impact employment opportunities for Kashmiris? This article delves into these pressing questions, offering a broader perspective on the evolving labor market in Kashmir.

Work Culture and Economic Drive

The most apparent difference between the migrant and local labor workforces is the work ethic. Migrant laborers come to Kashmir with a clear purpose: to earn, save, and return home with financial stability. Their approach to work is marked by discipline, punctuality, and an unrelenting drive.

In contrast, a significant portion of the indigenous labor force seems reluctant to engage in the same kind of physical........

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