What People Need to Relocate for a Job

Relocating to a new city or state can seem like an overwhelming task. Having to box up your life and leave behind friends and family doesn’t seem fun, it seems stressful. So why do people do it? There are many factors that come into play when deciding to uproot your life, whether that be moving closer to family, moving for a job, cheaper cost of living, or for love, everyone has a reason.

Moving to advance your career seems to be the biggest reason people relocate – 14% percent of people living in their current city are there because of their career. Dream jobs seem to take precedence to being closer to family and friends. In fact, three out of four people would relocate to a city where they don’t know anyone for a job. These numbers come from a recent survey, which asked Americans what influences their reasons for relocating. When people were asked what would make them leave their current city, the highest percentage of respondents said a job elsewhere would be the top scenario that would make them move, beating out moving for relationship with a significant other and being closer to family, and friends.

Employment

Other than cost of living, another major factor impacting someone’s decision to move is employment opportunities. 62% of people say the primary thing they consider when contemplating a move is employment opportunities. Again, making a career opportunity the number one reason people relocate.

So when relocating for a job, what are some requirements and what are things job seekers could live without if the job was the right fit? For most people, moving to a new city without a job is a major no, but not unheard of with about 20% of men and women reporting that they would find a job once they got to their new city. But, it turns out that 55% of people would consider relocating for a job without a raise or promotion if the job was something they would love. And for the people who require a raise to move, it wouldn’t take much. Over a third of people surveyed said they would relocate for less than a 20% raise and 18% of people say that they would need at least a 50% raise to move from their current location.

Compensation

When looking at moving for a job by generation, the survey finds that millenials are more likely to relocate for their careers and would be the least demanding about salary raises and negotiations as compared to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Most of the Millennial generation say they would move for a 5-15% raise. Millennials are also 1.4 times more likely than Gen X-ers to move for a 10% raise or less. Where Gen X-ers say they would require a 20-50% increase in compensation to move. Baby Boomers are more likely not relocate due to the fact that they are approaching or currently in retirement age. In fact, Baby Boomers are five times more likely than Millennials to say there wasn’t a large enough raise in pay to make them move for a job.

So what would it take for you to move? A dream job, more money, or the same amount of money, but a better job situation? It seems like everyone’s reasons differ and everyone has different motivators, but one thing is very clear, landing a great job could quickly lead you away from the current place you call home and into a new journey.