Podcast Summary: The Indicator from Planet Money

Episode: Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore
Date: October 3, 2025
Host: NPR (Waylon Wong, Julia Richie, Stephen Bissaha)

Overview

This episode examines the sharp decline in Americans moving for work, discussing both the personal and economic reasons behind this trend. Using examples from Huntsville, Alabama—a city reshaped by federal relocations—the hosts explore why Americans have become “homebodies,” how improved job prospects and gender parity factor in, and what this means for the broader economy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Most Unusual Jobs Friday

• [00:11–01:19]
  • Federal shutdown means there’s no official BLS jobs report.
  • Hosts rely on alternative sources: ADP and Revelio Labs report weaker growth (approx. 38,000–60,000 jobs added in September).
  • There are sizable regional divergences: California is up 25,000 jobs, Texas down 10,000.

2. Americans Are Less Willing to Move Than Ever

• [01:41–01:52]
  • Internal migration for jobs is at about half the rate it was 30 years ago.
  • “We’re in the era of homebodies.”—Stephen Bissaha [01:41]

3. Huntsville, Alabama: The Case Study

• [03:24–03:49]
  • Once famous for Saturn V rocket engineering; now burgeoning with federal agencies.
  • Relocation was frequently met with strong reluctance from federal workers.

Memorable Example: FBI Relocations

• [03:49–05:12]
  • Sharonda Ware, former FBI staffer, recalls widespread anger when forced relocations to Alabama were announced:
    • “It was like … people kind of throwing rotten tomatoes. Just really, that was what that was like.” —Sharonda Ware [04:08]
    • Only about 10% of staff agreed to move, matching FBI data [05:03].
    • Issues included personal/family constraints and concerns about Alabama’s racial climate.
      • “Some people had, you know, shared custody arrangements, elderly parents… there were just reasons why they couldn’t do it.” —Sharonda Ware [04:45]

4. Why Aren’t People Moving?

• [05:56–07:51]
  • Urvi Nila Kantan (Fed economist) explains the declining mobility:
    • Sticking to regions tied to industry and education (tech in Bay Area; engineers in Huntsville).
    • Increased political sorting: >40% say politics play a role in where they choose to live.
      • “We just stopped seeing that, like such a traditional part of the life cycle is not happening anymore.” —Waylon Wong [06:11]
    • Abortion law restrictions influencing medical residencies.

Two-Body Problem: Women and Work

• [07:13–08:01]
  • Rise in dual-career households makes moving harder:
    • “So a moving decision based on work is only based on one spouse’s job. Now imagine … more women in the workplace, so now it’s a two body problem.” —Waylon Wong [07:28]
    • Gender pay gap is closing (85% of men’s median pay, up from 75% in the ’90s). If both partners have careers/similar pay, prioritizing one job for a move is trickier.

The Salary Gap Factor

• [08:26–09:01]
  • Regional pay variances have narrowed, which erodes the financial incentive to move:
    • “There’s less regional variation in wages and salaries.” —Waylon Wong [08:39]
      • “It used to be that people would throng to places where prospects were better, but as places get more even then there’s less of a pull… to move…” —Waylon Wong [09:01]

Remote Work’s Effect

• [09:16–09:29]
  • Temporary rise in moves during the 2021 remote boom, but now flexible work lets people stay put while changing jobs.

5. Huntsville Today: Affordable and Charismatic

• [09:33–10:20]

  • Fast growth is due to affordability (30% cheaper housing than Colorado Springs).

  • Sharonda Ware’s journey:

    • She moved to Huntsville despite fears, drawn by natural beauty and “Southern hospitality.”
    • “To me, I feel like people are more willing to be like, good morning, you know, how are you?... I just love to be able to do that with other people, too.” —Sharonda Ware [10:04]

  • Huntsville is now firmly home for her; another move is not on the table.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re in the era of homebodies. Americans are moving at around half the rate they were 30 years ago.” —Stephen Bissaha [01:41]
• "If I were to guess, like only 10% moved." —Sharonda Ware [04:57]
• “It was like … throwing rotten tomatoes. Just really, that was what that was like.” —Sharonda Ware [04:08]
• “So a moving decision … is only based on one spouse’s job. Now … it’s a two-body problem.” —Waylon Wong [07:28]
• “There’s less regional variation in wages and salaries.” —Waylon Wong [08:39]
• "To me, I feel like people are more willing to be like, good morning ... I just love to be able to do that with other people, too.” —Sharonda Ware [10:04]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:11 – Unusual Jobs Friday due to government shutdown
• 01:41 – American mobility at historic low
• 03:24 – Huntsville’s federal boom; introduction to FBI relocation story
• 04:08 – Reluctance and emotional reactions to forced moves
• 05:56 – Broader decline in interstate mobility, research explanations
• 07:13 – Gender, two-career households, narrowing pay gap
• 08:39 – Shrinking regional wage differences
• 09:16 – Remote work’s influence
• 09:33 – Huntsville’s growth, housing affordability
• 10:04 – Sharonda Ware on her positive Southern experience

Tone Notes

The episode is conversational, humorous at moments, and empathetic to both personal and economic realities. It combines storytelling with data and real-world anecdotes to bring policy considerations to life.