Uneven regional development and internal labour migration in Fiji

Abstract

The phenomenon of labour mobility in Fiji is encouraged by the existing pattern of uneven regional development which creates and contributes to limited economic opportunities. This is manifested by a disparity in the average annual growth rate of the provincial population, which implies migration from the lower income provinces to the higher income provinces. Circular labour migration follows the same paths. Gains to the village economy from circular mobility, especially in the remote periphery and the outer islands, take the form of remittances which supplement local income. Labour mobility, and particularly its circular form, expresses the interdependency between the capitalist and village modes of production. This mobility is a mechanism whereby the native villagers supply cheap labour for the production of commodities, and at the same time contribute to village households income, and thus enable the native population to satisfy cash requirements beyond local commercial production capacity. Although this mechanism supports the existing core-periphery pattern in Fiji, it may be considered an integrative component in the development strategies of small island states.