Urban growth in Ethiopia has been chiefly characterized by the emergence of the Primate CityrnAddis Ababa. The concentration of economic activities and social services in the city attract arnlarge number of in-migrants ji-om all over the countly. The city has been critically sufferingrnji-om high unemployment and underemployment rates, shortage of housing and inadequaternsewerage and waste disposal.rnThe purpose of this study is to explain reasons for the persistence of the influx of migrants tornthe city in spite of worsening employment opportunities and the possibility of earning of arnliving in the city. The study focused on the analysis of motivational factors for migration intornthe city based on the subjective responses of migrants about reasons for migration.rnFurthermore, to analyze labor force participation, employment and occupational status ofrnmigrants as compared to non-migrants in the city. In order to achieve the purpose of the studyrnthe data used for the analysis taken ji-om the National Labor Force Survey (NLFS) conductedrnby the Central Statistical Authority (CSA) in April 1999. In the data analysis part bothrndescriptive statistics and analytical methods were employed. The result ji-OIn this studyrnindicates that 46.3% of the sample population were migrants. This result is consistent with thern1994 Census result that indicates migrants constituted about 46. 7% of the total populationrnenumerated in the city.rnAnalysis of reasons for migration to the city revealed that in-migrating for search of jobrnconstituted the highest proportion (38.9%) of all reasons cited in the study. Desire forrneducation accounted for 20% of all responses and was the second important factor forrnmigration to the city followed by moving to accompany family (8. 2%) and to live with relativesrnin the city (7.0%). Motivational factors for migration depend on characteristics of individualrnmigrants such as sex, age, education and place of previous residence. The odds ratiorn(Exp(B) =1. 6931) in the logistic regression model indicates that male migrants cited economicrnreason Oob searching) more than 1.6 times that of female migrants. With respect tornrural/urban place of previous residence rural migrants are 18.6% more likely to be motivatedrnby economic factor than migrants ji-OI1l urban areas. As educational attainment increasesrnpropensity of migrating to the city in search of job increases. The logistic regression resultindicates that in-migration for search of job is higher among persons attained higher level ofrneducation than persons at lower educational attainment.rnConcerning labor force participation differentials, the result revealed that about two-thirdrn(66%) of recent migrants, nearly three-quarter (73.2%) of long-term migrants (5-9 years ofrnresidence) and only about half (52.5%) of non-migrants were economically active during thern12 months prior to the survey. Higher proportion, about 58.7%, of recent migrants were in thernlower occupational category as compared to 38.4% of long-term migrants and 22.3% of nonmigrantsrnin the same occupational categoly. The logistic regression odds ratiorn(Exp(B) =3.2678) indicate that the chance of being employed in the informal sector is morernthan three times higher for recent migrants as compared to the non-migrants. However, asrnduration of residence increased to 5-9 years and 10 years or more the odds ratios decreasedrnto Exp(B)=2.3924 and Exp(B)=1.4324 , respectively.