Many Americans say that they would move for work, with a quarter having already moved for work.
Traditionally Americans have been more likely than people in many other developed countries to leave their home states for work reasons, something which accounts for the dramatic growth in population seen in the sunbelt states such as Arizona over the past 20 years. In recent years Texas has increasingly become the go-to destination for domestic migrants, with a large majority of new Texans coming from elsewhere in the US and not from abroad. Texas governor Rick Perry has come under fire, however, for encouraging companies that are considering investmenting in Democratic states to change their plans and invest in Texas instead.
The latest YouGov research shows that among Americans of all ages, 39% would consider moving to a different part of the country for work, while 26% would not.
26% of people say that they have moved for work in the past, though this is highly dependent on education. 24% of high school graduates have moved, compared to 35% of college grads and 42% of people with post-graduate degrees.
Economic incentives pay a major role in determining whether someone would move, however, with only 4% saying that they would be prepared to move to a different part of the country without getting a pay rise. 16% said that they would be happy with a pay rise of 40% or less, while 23% said they would need 50-90% and 17% stating that they would want their income to at least double.
Interestingly, when asked whether a move to Texas itself would be considered, there was a partisan split. Among Democrats 30% said that they would move to Texas, while 42% said they would not - compared to 38% of Republicans who would move to Texas and 29% who would not.
Complete results are available here.
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