Downtown Juneau, Alaska
Remote, hybrid and flexibility—the ability to work whenever and wherever you want—will be the new future of work. This will cause significant societal changes.
Digital nomads, mainly single knowledge workers, have started relocating to beach towns, ski slopes and far-off, international, exotic locations. There’s been a shift from large crowded cities to the suburbs.
During the pandemic, a number of countries offered incentives to attract remote workers. As their economies were mainly tourism based, they were in dire need of revenue. Inducing knowledge workers to live and work in their country was a great way to bring in much needed revenue and taxes.
Barbados, Estonia, Bermuda and Georgia have all opened their doors to Americans, inviting them to come, work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy. In an open letter from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, she warmly encouraged people to migrate to her country. “On behalf of our beautiful island of Barbados, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you.”
In the U.S., smaller cities and towns are attempting to attract remote workers. They are offering lucrative sign-on bonuses to help with the move. They are also leveraging good, old-fashioned amenities to draw people in.
In addition to the cash, there are other reasons for people to relocate. Young adults, drowning in college debt, find themselves unable to purchase homes or start families, as they don’t have the financial wherewithal. Exorbitant housing costs, coming up with a large down payment for a mortgage and holding jobs that don’t pay well, along with obscene college debt, puts them in a precarious position. It's economically advantageous for them to work remotely and move to a lower-cost location. Their lives could be completely different. They’ll be able to purchase a nice large home at a fraction of the price it would cost in New York City or San Francisco.
Baby Boomers have been pushed out of the job market during the virus outbreak. A combination of ageism, being paid considerably more than their younger counterparts and the trend of relocating positions to other countries have made it difficult for the Boomers to find new jobs. As home prices and the stock market both soared to record highs, it makes prudent sense to sell their homes for a substantial profit—not have to deal with $20,000 in property taxes and relocate to a far less expensive town.
You could see families with young children decide to leave crowded cities with high crime rates and not-so-great public schools and return to their hometowns, with built-in grandparent babysitters. Outdoor types would love a place to hike, ride bikes and go boating. College towns offer a lively environment filled with restaurants, collegiate sports games and concerts.
Evan Hock, cofounder of MakeMyMove, the nation's first and only marketplace that matches remote workers and their families to communities across the country, points to Greensburg, Indiana as an example. The quaint town is offering $5,000 to newcomers. “In addition to its quality of life-enhancing amenities and unmatched hospitality, Greensburg is going above and beyond to integrate individuals and families into i's community ,in ways we have not seen before,” offering the following:
- “Grandparents on Demand” babysitting services and Grandparents Day stand-in at school, provided by local couple Tami and Dan Wenning
- “Seat at the Table” invitation to Greensburg’s nonprofit fundraising events, including its annual gala, in support of Decatur County Memorial Hospital
- Open invitations to home-cooked meals at neighbors’ homes
- One-year membership to the town’s local co-working space
- One-year membership to the local YMCA
- Free gift cards to the seasonal farmers’ market
- Free passes to theatrical performances at Tree County Players
- Free passes for boating and beaching at the 250-acre Lake Santee
Mayor Joshua Marsh says about the bucolic, charming town, “Greensburg has always been a welcoming community for anyone that wants to live, work and play here, but with this package, we are going a step above to ensure that people have the opportunity to really embrace all that Greensburg has to offer.”
The grandmother leading the “Grandparents on Demand,” Tami Wenning, said, “Moving to a new community is hard, especially for families that need childcare.”Wenning added, “We wanted to pitch in and contribute to the initiative and really extend a welcoming hand. Our kids are grown and we have time to give. Sometimes, that’s worth more than money.”
MakeMyMove conducted a survey that showed nearly 60% of remote workers would look for a new job if they’re not permitted to continue working virtually. Around 29% of remote workers reported that they are either “likely” or “somewhat likely” to move to a new city or town in the next 18 months and 50% of respondents said they’d consider permanently relocating if offered $10,000 and the community has the amenities they are seeking.
A quick search of MakeMyMove’s site shows the money offered by different cities and towns:
- Lewisburg, West Virginia: Total Incentive Value= $20,000
- Stillwater, Oklahoma: Total Incentive Value= $7,500
- Augusta, Maine: Total Incentive Value= $15,660
- Montpelier, Vermont: Total Incentive Value= $15,000
- Rutherford County, Tennessee: Total Incentive Value= $10,000
- Honolulu, Hawaii: Total Incentive Value= $2,500
- Juneau, Alaska: Total Incentive= $3,000
