Human Capital Accumulation and Entrepreneurial Spirit of Migrants Returns in Cilacap Regency, Central Java Province

¹ Social Anthropology Department, Diponegoro University Semarang, Indonesia
² Literature Department, Diponegoro University Semarang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: suyanto@live.undip.ac.id

Abstract

Returning migrants generally have a high dependence on working abroad because remittances are used for consumptive and investment needs. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the accumulation of human capital and its entrepreneurial spirit. Because of that, the purpose of this study is to explain the influence of social demographic factors of returning migrants in improving their household welfare and to explain the use of human capital and entrepreneurial spirit of migrants return to improving household welfare. This study used survey and case studies design. The research was conducted in Cilacap Regency. The sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan technique. Data collection used structured interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Data analysis used descriptive statistical analysis, single frequency distribution table and qualitative descriptive analysis. The results of the study show that migrants return to accumulate human capital (knowledge, skills, and technology in agriculture and domestic work, skills in using foreign languages, use of free time for online business, and recreational habits on holidays. In general, returning migrants have a high entrepreneurial spirit, mainly in the form of innovation, the courage to take risks, perceptions of opportunities, and intuition related to entrepreneurship.