Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore

Good to be with you, Waylon, and especially happy to be here on Jobs Friday.

Yeah, I cannot actually remember when we had a usual Jobs Friday.

Now, there are at least some other sources of jobs data less comprehensive than what the Bureau of Labor Statistics produces, of course, but hey, you know, they're actually getting released, so we'll take it.

Yeah. And the Revelli report also looks at state employment, and there's some pretty big differences depending on where you live. Like California gained about 25,000 jobs, while Texas lost 10,000. So with some parts of the country being more boom and others being more bust, you might imagine Americans packing up the U Haul and chasing down those opportunities across state lines.

So on today's show, why are Americans moving at a record low and how that's related to women getting better pay. Plus, a trip to Huntsville, Alabama. We'll explain why after the break. If there's one thing you should know about Huntsville, Alabama, it's sort of this federal workforce mecca in the south, especially when it comes to defense and space.

Now, that does not mean all those moves went smoothly, like in 2018. At the time, the FBI's Finance and Facilities Division was based in D.C. the agency called in all of its roughly 100 workers from that division into an auditorium to share the news. Sharondaware was working in D.C. at the time.

Yeah. They would not have to be told they had to leave D.C. for Alabama.

Sharonda personally was concerned about Alabama's long history and reputation when it comes to

Do you know, like, the percent of your division that decided to move to

Oh, that's small.

And this concern about people not relocating popped up again for Huntsville. President Trump announced he's moving Space Command there from Colorado Springs. Space Command's job is coordinating military operations in space, like defending US Satellites from attack.

And before you think this is all about workers rejecting the south, it is not. American workers across the country have become more and more reluctant to move across state lines over the last 30 years.

Depending on how you count, I think I've moved at least three times to different states for work.

Oh, you got me beat then.

Yeah, that does help. And, you know, Irving's research did come up with a few reasons for the moving drop. One is that Americans have basically been more and more often sticking to certain parts of the country based on things like industry and education. Like college grads are more likely to stay in cities, Tech Bros are hanging out in the Bay Area, and Huntsville has been this gathering spot for engineers.

Another surprise reason Irvey gives for Americans staying put is that women are working more. Which might sound like a weird explanation, but hear us out and imagine a husband and a wife. Husband works outside the house, wife stays home.

It is a bit easier if one partner makes a lot more than the other. But that just leads us to another reason for the moving drop. The gender pay gap is closing.

And if both parents are making similar salaries, how do you pick whose career gets prioritized? Might be easier just to stay put. And this all gets more complicated when you add a kid to the equation. I mean, you might want to stick close to the grandparents for that childcare support if both parents are working.

Hey, though, we do have better crawfish boils.

Of course, some people are still moving today, even if they're doing it less.

And remember Sharonda Ware, the FBI worker who was told she needs to leave D.C. for Huntsville? Well, she ended up making that move. She still has some concerns about racism in Alabama, but she was won over by the state's beautiful rivers and mountains and. And its culture.

So that Southern hospitality got to you. Sharonda is no longer with the FBI. She took part in that federal deferred resignation program at the start of the year, and she's deciding with her husband what they're going to do next. One thing that's not in the cards is moving again. Huntsville is home.