The role of small cities in shaping youth employment outcomes in India and Indonesia

This research project explores the role of small cities in shaping the employment outcomes of migrant youth – specifically women and those from non-metropolitan backgrounds. With a focus on investigating governance and policy frameworks, the research will look at small cities in India and Indonesia, two Asian countries that compare well in terms of scale, regional diversity and governance challenges.

Based on the outcomes of the research, the project team will propose policy recommendations toward enabling governments in small cities of India and Indonesia to improve the employment outcomes of migrant youth, especially women migrants. The project breaks new ground in the study of migration, urbanization and labor markets, due to its geographic focus on small cities, its population of inquiry – migrant youth, particularly women – and its ultimate aim of offering suggestions for policy reform at the municipal scale.

The project is a collaboration with the Centre for Policy Research, one of India’s leading think tanks. It is a two-and-a-half-year research effort culminating in December 2018.