Americans aren't switching cities for new jobs as much anymore. We asked 5 people why moving isn't worth it.
Shriya Boppana, Julianne Elise, Angela Harris
- Americans are moving for new jobs at the lowest rate in decades, per a recent Challenger survey.
- Experts say high housing costs, an aging population, and remote work are among the reasons why.
- We asked five Americans why they turned down an out-of-state job offer — or accepted one and later regretted it.
Americans are still switching jobs in high numbers — but they're packing up and moving for their new gigs at the lowest rate in decades.
That's according to a quarterly survey of more than 3,000 US adults who recently took a new job. In the first quarter of 2023, 1.6% of job seekers relocated for their new job, the lowest level of any quarter on record dating back to 1986, according to data from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas.
The figure is the culmination of a decades-long decline in the share of US workers moving for a new job. From 1986 to 1997, an average of roughly 29% of job seekers relocated for a new role. This fell to 18% from 1998 to 2007, 11% from 2008 to 2017, and 7% from 2018 to 2020. The relocation rate sank all the way to 4.6% in the first quarter of 2022.
Experts told Insider that several factors have driven the decline, including high housing costs, the concentration of jobs in a handful of metro areas, and the growth of remote work — which has allowed some workers to change jobs without moving.
"In the 1980's and 90's, nearly a third of job seekers would move for new positions," Andrew Challenger, a senior vice president at the survey firm, said in a release. "That has fallen steadily since, as housing costs have risen and companies have moved to where talent pools are located. Now, remote and hybrid positions are keeping workers at home."
Aaron Terrazas, chief economist for Glassdoor, told Insider that certain demographics and societal trends — like the aging US population and the rise of dual-income households — can help explain the decline as well.
"Older people move less than younger people, and couples where both spouses work move less than couples where only one spouse works," he said.
Declining marriage and birth rates have also made moves to larger homes less necessary for some Americans. High childcare costs — and the need to care for aging relatives — could be keeping some people in place as well.
Insider spoke with five Americans who either passed up on a job because they didn't want to move — or moved for a job and ultimately regretted it — to learn more about what's keeping Americans from relocating when they join the Great Resignation.
High moving expenses can take the excitement out of a move
Virginia native Shriya Boppana, 24, told Insider that she moved to Austin, Texas for her first job out of college last year.
But the move proved to be expensive. She said she had to pay $1,000 to transport her car, only to see it damaged during the trip — forcing her to get a new one. Her monthly rent of $1,600 before utilities wasn't especially welcoming either.
Shriya Boppana
"I took the job because they paid the most, but when I moved to Texas, it was the biggest financial drain on my bank account," she said. "I barely even enjoyed the perks of a fat paycheck."
Boppana said her company initially required her to move for the job, but after two months, she was allowed to move back home to Virginia and work remotely. After paying rent for another six months, she said she flew back to Austin to break her lease, pick up her car, and drive 22 hours back to Virginia.
Moving can sometimes mean giving up lifestyle preferences, like being car-free
Julianne Elise, 25, told Insider she was laid off from her New York City public relations manager job in June. Two weeks ago, she said she received a job offer for a role that paid slightly more than her old gig — but the company said she'd have to move to Los Angeles by the end of the year.
Julianne Elise
While she said she'd be open to moving for a new job, she ultimately decided to decline.
"I did a lot of research on the cost of living in Los Angeles and realized that I would need a car, which is an added expense," she said. "The rent in LA was slightly lower than I'm paying in New York, but not enough to justify buying a car and the moving expenses I would incur."
High housing costs can make a good job offer less attractive
Angela Harris, 43, told Insider that she moved from Philadelphia to Redmond, Washington in 2019 for a new job. She said she'd lived on the East Coast her entire life and was looking for something new.
While she was fortunate that her new employer covered most of her relocation expenses — including a temporary stay in corporate housing — she said she found herself losing money elsewhere.
Angela Harris
In Philadelphia, she said she had a $1,200 monthly mortgage payment for a 3-bedroom home. But in Redmond, she was forced to rent a 2-bedroom home for $2,400 per month. She also said her car registration was $500 the first year, up drastically from the $40 annual payment she'd become accustomed to in Pennsylvania.
"My living expenses doubled, and, in some instances, I felt like I had to downgrade my quality of living for the move," she said.
She moved back to the East Coast this past January.
Moving can mean saying goodbye to friends and family
Nathan Russo, 38, said he declined a job offer nine years ago that would have required him to move from Florida to Chicago. He told Insider that the cost of housing in Chicago — and the social connections he'd built in Florida — ultimately prevented him from making the move.
"Ultimately, I realized that moving for this job would mean leaving all of my friends and family behind, and that support system is incredibly important to me," he said. "I also had a pretty great rent situation going, and looking at Chicago apartments online, I knew I was going to have to spend a few hundred dollars more per month on an apartment that would probably be smaller than the one I currently had."
Starting a new job in a different city can feel destabilizing
Michael Johnson, 30, is a cat nutritionist based in California. In 2018, he told Insider he received an enticing job offer at a veterinary clinic on the East Coast — one that provided a higher salary and the potential for career growth.
Michael Johnson
But ultimately, Johnson decided to decline. He said he was hesitant to leave the network of friends and colleagues he'd built, was concerned he wouldn't be able to find affordable housing, and thought the shift could pose some career challenges.
"I had built a solid client base and established connections within the local veterinary community," he said, adding, "Ultimately, I made the difficult choice to prioritize the stability of my existing career, financial situation, and personal well-being over the potential financial gains that the new job offered."
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