Mar 11, 2022 - Economy

Lots of Americans plan to move because of WFH

Emily Peck

An illustration showing a roof falling off a home with an arrow through it — Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

In a new survey, 9.3% of respondents — roughly the equivalent of 19 million Americans — said they are planning to move because they can work remotely. Since 2020, 2.4% had already moved because of remote work.

Why it matters: The explosion of remote work pushed many professionals out of expensive cities into more remote suburbs and other areas — driving up home prices. This is a big reason no one can find any houses to buy in the U.S. right now.

The survey suggests that demographic shifts sparked by remote work are just getting underway as workers grow more comfortable or secure working at home.
"The number of people who have relocated is likely just the start of a larger reshuffle," said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at online freelance company Upwork, which ran the survey.

Yes, but: We'll see how many people actually pack up and go. As Ozimek points out, "what people say they will do is typically treated by economists as weaker evidence than what people actually do."

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Lots of Americans plan to move because of WFH

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