What Does Job Relocation Mean?

Scenario #1 — You’re in the job market. One fateful day, your cell phone rings unexpectantly. A recruiter calls you with a position that’s a good fit and just what you need to cure from your depressed, unemployed situation. There’s just one catch! The position requires you to work on-site a few states away. You’ll have to move.

Scenario #2 — You work in manufacturing. The main fabrication plant is in the south, yet you work at the corporate office, about an hour from New York City. Your CEO will be speaking at the upcoming “Town Hall’ with all employees regarding the company’s financials, market position, and overall condition. At this meeting, you discover HQ will be moving to be closer to core operations in the south. You’ll have to move.

In both scenarios, you’ll need to make a decision that will have a grave impact on your living arrangement impacting you, your spouse, and your children. What would you do?

Moving Day

What To Consider Before Relocating?

Cost of living. You know your earnings potential. Will moving to a new neighborhood create a greater burden on living expenses? How about child care?

Some companies will even go as far as extending a salary increase to compensate for the higher costs — although this is rare.

Your spouse. Studies have shown that a “trailing spouse” will often experience reduced salary and benefits… and take longer to land an opportunity.

Your children and extended family. Moving is traumatic on children. From having to pack their toys and clothes into boxes, attending a new school, and being isolated from mom and dad’s extended family and friends. It’ll be a long commute for you all to reunite during holiday periods.

Job insecurity. Of all things to consider, this is probably the biggest concern:

What if it doesn’t work out? 

You’ll be in a part of the country where its resources are new to you… as are the employers and labor environment.

The Relocation Trend 

Less than 2% of jobseekers in 2023 have relocated for a new position in 2023, down from 4% in 2021. When compared to statistics from the 2000s and 2010s, those numbers are even more pronounced, from a decline of 11%.

Conclusion

Perhaps it would benefit you more to be more patient in your search, focusing your career efforts on working remote instead? Or perhaps something that is more commutable?

And if you do have to move, perhaps having to move 20 – 50 miles would not be as intrusive as relocating halfway across the country?

Did you move for a job and it did not work out? What happened? What did you do?

Please share in the comments section. Someone could learn from your experience!