Key Takeaways
- Job growth is slowing, with regional disparities, according to alternative data.
- Americans are relocating for work at half the rate seen 30 years ago.
- Increased women's workforce participation creates a 'two-body problem' for moves.
- Industry, education, and political sorting influence where Americans live.
- Remote work allows new jobs without requiring physical relocation.
Deep Dive
- The federal government shutdown prevented the release of the monthly jobs report.
- Alternative data from ADP and Revelio Labs indicate a slowdown in job growth.
- Revelio Labs reported approximately 60,000 jobs added in September.
- Regional disparities were significant, with California gaining jobs while Texas experienced losses.
- Huntsville, Alabama, has emerged as a hub for federal jobs in defense and space sectors.
- In 2018, only about 10% of FBI workers relocated to Huntsville, citing concerns like racial climate, family obligations, and shared custody.
- A Defense Department Inspector General report expressed concern that a majority of 1,000 civilian Space Command workers might not relocate to Huntsville from Colorado Springs.
- The move of Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, announced by President Trump, highlighted these relocation difficulties.
- An economist from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond identifies the decline in cross-state moves for work as a nationwide trend.
- The trend is linked to increased industry and education sorting, with people clustering based on professional fields.
- Political sorting also influences residency decisions, with over 40% of Americans considering politics when choosing where to live.
- Increased women's workforce participation creates a 'two-body problem' for dual-income households seeking job-based moves.
- The availability of remote work allows individuals to accept new jobs without physical relocation, reducing overall job-related migration.
- Factors like affordability, with housing costs 30% lower than Colorado Springs, motivate some individuals like former FBI worker Sharonda Ware to relocate.
- Sharonda Ware, who moved to Huntsville, Alabama, has left the FBI and stated she is not planning to move again, establishing Huntsville as her home.