The Indicator from Planet Money

Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore (Encore)

December 31, 2025

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  • Americans are moving for jobs at about half the rate they were 30 years ago, signaling an era of 'home bodies.' 
  • The decline in interstate job-related migration is attributed to factors including increased political sorting, industry/education clustering, and the 'two-body problem' arising from more dual-earner households. 
  • The shrinking gender pay gap contributes to fewer moves because when both partners earn similar salaries, prioritizing one career over the other for relocation becomes a more difficult decision. 

Segments

NPR Pledge Drive Context
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The Indicator from Planet Money is running encore episodes near the end of 2025 while soliciting listener support for NPR and local stations.
  • Summary: The episode opens during a funding appeal for NPR and local stations, noting the challenges faced due to lost federal funding and attacks on the free press. Listeners are encouraged to support public media before the end of the year via plus.mpr.org to unlock perks like bonus episodes. The show confirms it is airing favorite episodes from the past year.
Introduction and Job Data Issues
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(00:01:24)
  • Key Takeaway: A recent 43-day government shutdown has obscured the official jobs picture, forcing reliance on less comprehensive private sector data sources like Revellio Labs.
  • Summary: Host Waylon Wong introduces Stephen Bissaha to discuss the topic of Americans moving less for work. The government shutdown complicated the analysis of the overall jobs picture, making private sector data necessary. Private sector reports show significant state-level employment divergence, such as California gaining jobs while Texas lost them in September.
The Homebody Economy Trend
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(00:02:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Americans are currently moving across state lines for work at roughly half the frequency observed 30 years ago.
  • Summary: Despite regional job booms and busts, Americans are not chasing opportunities across state lines as much as they used to. This trend defines the current ’era of home bodies,’ where mobility is at a record low. The episode promises to explore the reasons behind this decline, linking it partly to women achieving better pay.
Huntsville Relocation Challenges
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(00:04:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Federal agency relocations to Huntsville, Alabama, such as the FBI and Space Command, have faced significant resistance from employees unwilling to move.
  • Summary: Huntsville is highlighted as a federal workforce hub for defense and space, attracting agencies like the Army Materiel Command and the Missile Defense Agency. When the FBI moved its finance division there in 2018, only about 10% of staff agreed to relocate from DC, citing concerns over safety and personal obligations. Similar relocation worries were noted regarding the planned move of Space Command from Colorado Springs.
Reasons for Declining Mobility
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(00:06:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Job-related migration is decreasing because workers are increasingly clustering based on industry/education, political alignment, and the complexity introduced by dual-earner households.
  • Summary: Economist Orvinila Canton notes that moving away is no longer a traditional part of the American life cycle. Reasons for the drop include workers sticking to specific geographic areas based on industry (e.g., tech in the Bay Area) and political sorting, with over 40% of Americans citing politics in their location decisions. The rise of dual-earner couples creates a ’two-body problem,’ making relocation sacrifices harder to justify.
Impact of Closing Gender Pay Gap
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(00:08:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The closing gender pay gap, while positive (wages now 85% of men’s vs. 75% in the 90s), makes it harder for couples to decide whose career to prioritize during a move.
  • Summary: As women earn more similar salaries to their male partners, the decision of whose career to advance becomes a significant hurdle for couples considering a move. This complexity is compounded when children are involved, increasing the desire to stay near established support systems like grandparents. Furthermore, regional wage variation for similar jobs has shrunk, reducing the financial incentive to move for better pay.
Remote Work and Huntsville Success
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(00:09:52)
  • Key Takeaway: While remote work initially spurred some moves, it now allows workers to take new jobs while staying put, though Huntsville continues to grow due to affordability relative to places like Colorado Springs.
  • Summary: Flexible work arrangements mean some people can accept new jobs without relocating, contrasting with the 2021 trend of moving for remote opportunities. Huntsville remains attractive because its housing costs are about 30% lower than Colorado Springs, the city Space Command is moving from. FBI worker Sharonda Ware, initially hesitant, was won over by Huntsville’s culture and hospitality after making the move.