Whenever jobs are hard to get, the first target of the unemployed is the migrant.You can see it in the US where the techies are up in arms over the invasion of intelligent Indians. Whatever the reason — perhaps the cream of the nation still wants to go abroad — the average Indian techie in the US is far more effective and productive than his American counterpart. Indian companies that have been forced to hire locals in the US say that there has been a significant drop in IQ levels. This is something they don’t talk about. But the phrase cyber coolie — for long a term applied to the poorly-paid Indian programmer — will soon be used for Americans who join under the quota system. We want a global workforce, say all IT majors. Actually, they don’t. But the US government must be kept happy; Indian companies must provide jobs in Buffalo (as President Barack Obama wants) and not Bangalore.

All migrants come with some positive features. At a very basic level, they have the courage to take the plunge. Second, they often fill a need. Indian nurses are going to the UK because the first choice in a united Europe (despite occasional differences) are not good enough. Eastern Europe has lived too long under the Russian bear to develop the nurturing instincts so necessary in nurses. Similarly, Bangladeshis are thronging Delhi and Mumbai because the sort of jobs they take up (maid servants and the like) are not acceptable to the indigenous population.

Things change, of course. Earlier, this role was filled by Nepalis. Today, despite what the numbers might show, they have escaped the clutches of abject poverty and look for better jobs. Sometimes things change in unlikely ways. One generation ago, Orissa and Bihar contributed servants to West Bengal. Today, Bengal contributes servants and journalists to the rest of India. The euphemism is that they are Bangladeshis.

Migration is a part of evolution. If you stop it artificially, as Maharashtra — more particularly Mumbai — is doing, you could end up with disastrous consequences. When a state — or its parochial political parties — begins to put up barriers for jobseekers, the entire economy could be affected. Take the earlier-mentioned example of maidservants. Despite all labour-saving devices, some basic housework needs to be done. Without a maid, it is left to the housewife. In a city like Mumbai, there is a very good chance she is a working woman. This means that time that could be put to more productive uses has to be wasted in washing dishes and clothes.

According to a study by the Indian Institute of Human Settlement, the two largest streams of migration to urban India — accounting for 3,00,000 people each — are from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and Bihar to Delhi. Mumbai makes a lot of noise and indulges in migrant baiting. Guess who’s moving down the economic ladder and who up? One indicator: every multinational coming in today is setting up shop in and around Delhi. The very influx of construction workers from rural India means that Delhi is a happening place. On the other hand, when the reverse migration of Indian workers took place from the Gulf a couple of years ago, it didn’t take a crystal ball to fathom that local economies were headed for a slump.

Today, there are suddenly a lot of surveys in the media about the best Indian cities to work in. You have to take these with a pinch of salt because such media surveys are designed to spread scares to attract more eyeballs, TRPs and readers. But the top findings cannot be faulted.

What are the trends (see tables)?

First, big is out; smaller cities are exercising more charm.

Second, specialisation matters. Corporate clusters help both companies and jobseekers.

Third, Mumbai is hardly anywhere; Delhi is seemingly everywhere.

There is a lesson in it for the upwardly mobile: you need to be geographically mobile too. And, for once, it pays to join the herd, even if they are only construction workers.

STRANGE TOPPERS

Best cities to work in: Indicus

Gurgaon

Noida

Chandigarh

Surat

Bangalore

Chennai

Hyderabad

Mumbai

Pune

Delhi

Best cities in India for professionals: OneIndia

Techies – Bangalore

Artists – Calcutta

Marketmen – Mumbai

Journalists – New Delhi

Best cities for job hunters: Silicon India

Bangalore

Coimbatore

Kochi

Calcutta

Delhi