How 2020 Changed Nursing

Families are relocating to ‘vaccinate’ their lives and improve work/life balance.

By Debby Wadsworth, Freelance Writer

In 2020, we witnessed work shifting, our pastimes altered, havoc with our social lives and separation from family and friends. Many Americans are now on an emotional rollercoaster and clamoring to get off. Many are looking toward relocation and location-proof stability for their new normal.

Big Cities Losing Popularity

Immediately after the Great Recession, Millennials flocked into big cities that created a period of growth and revitalization. But the growth bubble burst a few years ago when Millennials and older members of Generation Z started moving into smaller metro areas according to a report by William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution.

The three largest metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago have experienced population losses over the past several years. Even slightly smaller metro areas, like Houston, Washington, D.C., Miami, have been affected by the trend. The first city on the list of top 10 metro areas people are relocating from is New York, New York according to Redfin.

The 10 Top Areas People Are Moving From

• New York, NY
• Los Angeles, CA
• Chicago, IL
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, DC
• Miami, FL
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Albuquerque, NM

2020 has boosted an already growing relocation trend. According to a Harris Poll, nearly a third of Americans are considering moving to less densely populated areas. For Millennials, 73% said they want to move in the next 10 years. According to Frey, the trend began in the mid-2010s with millennials and older members of Generation Z who were increasingly choosing smaller metro areas like Tucson, Ariz.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Columbus, Ohio.

2020 Fuels Relocation

Millennials are getting older and entering the next stage of life — marriage, kids, and job promotions. A 2018 survey of 1,200 adults aged 20-36 from Ernst & Young revealed that more millennials are buying homes in the suburbs than in cities. Gen Y is beginning its exodus too, just like the generations that came before it. They are leaving because of skyrocketing rent, interest in better schools, and finding more family-friendly amenities.

2020 has given them one more reason to move — health safety. Americans are looking for less densely populated places according to Retinectomy’s housing migration report for Q4 of 2019. For Americans, Phoenix is first on the list of the places where people are moving. Millennials have Dallas, Texas at the top of the list, followed by Houston and Austin, Texas, then Phoenix, Arizona, according to US News & World Report.

The Top 10 Metros People Are Moving To

1. Phoenix, AZ
2. Sacramento, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Austin, TX
6. Dallas, TX
7. Portland, OR
8. Tampa, FL
9. Boston, MA
10. Nashville, TN

Many Are Placing More Of An Emphasis on ‘Life’ in Work/Life Balance

Millions of working adults are reevaluating their careers during 2020 and are ‘re-skilling’ to ensure they can adapt to life after the vaccine is introduced. A study of adults found that 39 percent of respondents are considering changing careers according to PeopleCert. People want to avoid another ride on the emotional rollercoaster and trying to increase their odds of having work life balance.

Many employers are open to people reskilling and even helping them switching careers. For instance, recently, Amazon announced a $700 million program to reskill 100,000 of its U.S. based employees in healthcare, machine learning, manufacturing, robotics, and computer science

68% Of Millennials Want To Work From Home

With new careers come new work location choices. Sixty-eight percent of Millennial job seekers say a work from home option would greatly influence their interest in working for a company, according to a recent study by Fundera. Regular working at home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 173% since 2005, according to March 2020 report from Global Workplace Analytics.

Health Care Careers Shine In This “New Normal“

For families seeking work-life balance, health care and medical careers have the highest odds for work life balance. It is estimated that five health care workers are needed for every moving truck that arrives to a city bursting at the seams from relocation. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this sector accounts for six of the top ten categories for the highest projected job growth through 2024.