Meet the Stay-Putniks
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Published February 14, 2010 Having recently parted ways with his employer, Bruce Mirken, 53, single and childless, seems the likeliest of candidates to pick up stakes and relocate for a new job. But he isn't budging, not even if the perfect job in nonprofit public relations or drug policy (his areas of expertise) beckons from out-of-state."I'm not sure if I'll find something similar to my previous position, but circumstances of my life are such that I am not going to leave San Francisco unless I have absolutely no choice," Mirken says. The reason? He simply likes where he lives. Mirken is not alone. The average relocation rate for 2009, measuring job seekers who took positions in new towns, was about 13 percent, second lowest on record, according to a survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The rate was just 11.6 percent in 2008, when the housing market collapse was at its worst. "Relocation is still a last resort for the overwhelming majority of job seekers," says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based global outplacement consultancy. "When job seekers perceive their chances of finding work are poor regardless of the geographic area in which they look, they are likely to stay where they have an established support network." Many people can't or won't move because they have an "upside-down" mortgage or kids in school, says Paul Sorbera, president of the New York-based executive recruiting firm Alliance Consulting, which serves the hard-hit financial industry. But recruiters also commonly encounter people who won't move because of lifestyle preferences verses family or financial reasons. "Even some people who have been out of work for over a year - they just won't do it. They'll either stay out of work or change careers," he says. "We see this quite a lot." The financial sector, which has seen tens of thousands of layoffs in recent years, generally isn't an industry in which laid-off individuals have the luxury of staying put. And some industries, like construction and health care finance, are by nature more transient even when the economy is humming, says Jeff Wittenberg, chief leadership officer of the Plano, Texas-based executive search firm Kaye/Bassman International. IT professionals in major metropolitan areas, by contrast, are likely to stay put after a job loss, since they have sufficient options at hand, he says. However, across all fields, Wittenberg says, his firm encounters unemployed workers who turn down seemingly perfect opportunities because the job requires a move. "They absolutely refuse to look at it," Wittenberg says. Places where people typically tend to dig in their heels and refuse to move for lifestyle reasons include Chicago, New York City, California, Colorado and Austin, Texas. On the other side of the fence, there are unemployed people who would gladly move, but they are "almost trapped, handcuffed or held hostage by the current mortgage situation," Wittenberg says. Others grapple with "competing agendas," he adds. "They're committed to staying, but they're also committed to their chosen careers. Eventually, one thing has to win over the other." For Mirken, staying in San Francisco wins out, and he is willing to jump career tracks if necessary. "But my abilities and talents are what they are, so I obviously need to find something that fits with my skill set," he says. To tide himself over, Mirken has lined up some work as an independent contractor. Having received an inheritance, he can get by without steady employment for longer than most. "But, sooner or later, I'll want to settle into a full-time job with benefits," he says. If the worst-case scenario comes to pass - he runs out of money, is forced to sell his house and wears out his welcome crashing on friends' sofas - Mirken might admit defeat and broaden his job search. "But I'd have to be feeling pretty desperate," he says. "Very seriously, my intention is to leave San Francisco feet first." - Written By Dawn Klingensmith |