Figure 2 . Primary Trigger Causing Relocation
Money is still important … so long as there is work / life balance While workers who relocated said that ‘ salary ’ was the most important factor regarding a new job opportunity , work / life balance is right behind . Company benefits and location are also very important , demonstrating the importance that workers are placing on lifestyle .
Key Takeaway : Money is not the only thing motivating workers today , lifestyle and place are also important considerations .
Source : DCI ( 2022 )
Figure 3 . Factors Considered Regarding a New Job Opportunity
There are a range of decision factors for relocation When deciding about relocation , workers consider a wide variety of factors . While cost of living and housing are among the top factors considered , the research shows that all of these factors are important ( all factors scored above 5 , which would be neutral ). Economic developers need to consider how their communities fare in terms of these factors and if there are areas for improvement .
Key Takeaway : Marketing and promotion efforts should focus on key decision factors such as housing , safety , healthcare , local environment , education and arts / culture in an effort to attract workers .
Source : DCI ( 2022 )
Figure 4 . Decision Factors for Relocation
Workers relocating were influenced by a number of different information sources . Workers who recently relocated used a number of different sources that had an impact on their understanding and knowledge of their potential future residential location . While workers often had first-hand experience in the community or heard about it from someone else , internet research was the most utilised source of information . Interestingly , more workers relied on social media than traditional media coverage . In fact , 52 % of relocated workers referred to the local or state tourism website and 42 % investigated local or state tourism social media channels .
Source : DCI ( 2022 )
Key Takeaway : Ensuring a strong digital presence for a community and leveraging social media channels will be critical to attracting talent . Cooperating with local tourism organisations will help .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 15 NO 2 2022 13