STRUCTURALADJUSTMENT AND TRANSFORMATION IN LOCAL LABOR MARKETS: THE FORMATION OF THE KAHRAMANMARAŞ URBAN LABOR MARKET IN THE AFTER 1980

Abstract

Research subject of this study is the influences of structural adjustment programs on the internal migration and urban labour markets in the case of Kahramanmaraş urban labour market in Turkey.. Kahramanmaraş is a province that industrialized with the SAPs’ investment and export incentive policies after 1980s.
The results of field research in Kahramanmaraş urban labour market showed that the city’s growth is accelerated by the incentive policies and the local industry had focused on textile and garment industries after 1980s. The clustering created with the incentives pulled the rural population to the city. In this context the incentive policies which are still carried out causes the continuation of internal migration from far rural regions to the city.
The modern sector that has been formed after the 1980 segmented the labour market to the primary and secondary sectors and other intermediate forms of labour market segmentation. According to this, managing personnel and technicians are represented in the primary sector and the office boys and unskilled workers are represented in the secondary sector. The concluding remark of the study is that Turkey’s local labour markets –including Kahramanmaraş local labour market- are articulated to the core capitalist economies by global commodity chains especially in textile and garment industries.