Relocation Moves Increase for Workers Seeking New Opportunities

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - A whopping 62 percent of workers will relocate in 2019 to accept better employment opportunities, according to a national survey by Robert Half, the world’s largest staffing organization founded in 1948.

Workers identified better pay and perks as the top factor in their decision to move for a job, followed by family or personal reasons and cost of living and career advancement.  The survey found that professionals between the ages of 18 and 34 are most likely to relocate compared to those ages 35 to 54 and 55 or older. Sixty-seven percent of male employees would move, versus 59 percent of women.

In a separate survey, the Robert Half organization found that 34 percent of companies in the past five years have increased what’s offered in the relocation packages they present to top candidates outside their geographic area. In contrast, 30 percent of organizations do not offer any incentives for moving.

“In today’s competitive hiring environment, many employers are finding it challenging to locate skilled professionals in their immediate area,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half.  “As a result, organizations are open to considering candidates in other cities and offering attractive relocation packages to secure that talent.’’

“I was not surprised with this survey since companies are becoming more competitive with relocation packages to attract high-tech workers,’’ said Howard Stern, head of the MBA program at Carlow University. “Workers are seeking states where taxes are not as high,’’ he added.

Some companies like Google let relocated workers eat meals at the company for the first month of work until the family gets settled, according to Stern, a human resources expert.

Elaine Luther, a professor of business management at Point Park University, said she was a bit surprised by the survey since many companies still permit workers to telecommute.

But Luther was quick to point out that larger corporations are now demanding that workers be in the office more often to complete team tasks. Luther also reports that relocation packages can be quite creative to attract valued employees.

“My neighbor just relocated for a job in New Jersey and the relocation package involved special packing of his art work,’’ said Luther.

Other relocation experts report that the most important thing to remember is that in the end, employees and their employers want the same thing: to relocate the person in a way that will make him and his family happy so he will be free to focus completely on the job without a lot of hassle.

In 2011 alone, companies spent more than $9.3 million on relocation costs to entice valued employees to their brands. The Robert Half survey found that Minneapolis, Boston and Philadelphia have the fewest number of employees who would consider leaving their current area.

However, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles and Dallas have the most companies that have increased their relocation.

The online surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments; more than 2,800 senior managers in office environments, and more than 2,800 senior managers with 20 or more employees in 28 major U.S. cities.

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