Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore (Encore)

December 31, 2025

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Speakers & Context

The Format: Duo-hosted NPR podcast episode blending data analysis, field reporting from Huntsville, Alabama, and expert interviews in a crisp, explanatory "economy decoder" energy.
The Key Players:
- Wayland Wong (NPR Host, The Indicator): Delivers daily 10-minute economic breakdowns with rigorous private-sector data sourcing during government disruptions.
- Steven Bisaha (Gulf States Newsroom Reporter): Provides on-the-ground reporting from Southern growth hubs like Huntsville, contextualizing federal job relocations.
- Wardovine Kantan (Senior Policy Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond): Authored research brief on interstate mobility decline, leveraging Fed data to quantify lifecycle shifts in American migration.

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What you'll learn

1 **(00:00) 🎙️ Introduction: Steven Bisaha**
2 **(01:45) Jobs Data Challenges Post-Shutdown**
3 **(02:21) Decline in American Mobility**
4 **(03:56) Huntsville as Federal Jobs Hub**
5 **(04:21) FBI Relocation Struggles (2018)**
6 **(05:43) Space Command Move from Colorado Springs**
7 **(06:21) Expert Insight: Wardovine Kantan (Richmond Fed)**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Americans are moving at record lows for work. What’s driving people to, well, not drive cross-country for jobs? On today’s episode, we explore the rising homebody economy.

This episode originally aired Oct. 3, 2025.

Related episodes:
Why moms are leaving their paid jobs
How the end of Roe is reshaping the medical workforce

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