Americans Relocating for Jobs: That's a Good Sign

I take this as good news.

According to new data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm, a little more than 18 percent of job seekers who found work in the second quarter moved in order to take these new positions. That compares with 14.3 percent in the first quarter and 11.4 percent in the year-ago period. The data are based on a survey of 3,000 people.

Until now, people had been reluctant to move because they were afraid of losing money on their homes and concerned about how long their new jobs might last, Challenger says.

But now a heightened urgency to find work is taking hold, and that could have an upside for some regions.

“If the still-nascent upward trend continues, it could help reignite home sales in some areas of the country, particularly those with more job opportunities,” Challenger notes.

While it might be unpleasant, this is how Americans have coped with economic downturns and regional weaknesses since the Great Depression. Strike that, Americans have been moving around since the nation was founded.

One of the enduring strengths of the economy has been the willingness to strike out and move to where employment opportunities were better. That mobility has set us apart for the better from most other industrialized nations.

For awhile it looked like it was waning, so it’s nice to see a bit of a comeback.

More here.

Comments

[Dave Wrixon:]

That's good, because the way things are going they will need to relocate to Poland.

Aug 09 11:24 AM

[Troyhector:]

The in-migration that happened in the middle of this decade certainly had a lot to do with the housing boom. When that went bust, so did those crazy population balloons.

" But these particular places are still growing because instead of building an economy that relies heavily on one industry, most of the metro areas on Forbes’ list serve as headquarters for a diverse range of companies.

For example, Austin's biggest employers include the University of Texas, Advanced Micro Devices and Dell. That wide range might have something to do with the area's relatively low January 2009 unemployment rate of 6.4%.

This is the opposite of what happened in true housing boom-and-bust towns like Las Vegas. In 2004, Las Vegas — a foreclosure mecca — saw a population increase of 4.6%, followed by 3.66% in 2005, 3.98% in 2006 and 3.22% in 2007. In 2008, that number fell to 2%. "

Read more : www.housingnewslive.com

Aug 10 02:57 PM

[dustbusterz:]

""That mobility has set us apart for the better from most other industrialized nations.""

what are you nuts? Like other nations don't move to where the work is. How do you suppose we ended up with so many Mexicans in this country? They just magically appeared? They moved, to where the work was. And in the Philippines, they move to any Country where they can find work. Its not just Americans who move? Where did you get that ridiculous notion?

Sep 13 07:33 PM

[dustbusterz:]

Moving to where the work is is a survival skill we all use no matter where we live . Thats just part of life. This story has no bearing on anything that will help people .

Sep 13 07:36 PM