(RepublicanDaily.org) – As more and more people express their preference to work from home, several states are looking to attract talent from outside their territories and incentivize them to move.
Michigan is one such state, and is offering remote workers as much as $15,000 under its “Move to Michigan” program to move to its southwest area, and is showcasing its beautiful coastal communities and family-friendly neighborhoods. On top of the housing stipend, the state is offering up to $5,000 in “additional perks” that workers can choose from. These include free passes for public transportation and public parks and beaches, free coworking space membership for a year, free car service to regional airports for a year, free annual golf club memberships, and more. Interested applicants need to fulfill a few requirements, however, such as providing proof of a telecommute job outside of the state, and buy or build a home that costs at least $200,000, among others.
Another area looking to attract out of state talent is Tulsa, Oklahoma. The “Tulsa Remote” program offers remote workers up to a $10,000 grant intended to cover moving expenses, with the rest broken down into monthly payments and the remainder given after workers complete their first year of residency. The website for the program also indicates that workers will be given “free desk space” at a premier coworking space in Tulsa, but does not specify for how long.
West Virginia is also looking to entice remote workers to move there with its Ascend program. Workers will get up to a $12,000 stipend, $10,000 of which is broken down into monthly payments in the first year, with the remaining $2,000 issued for help with expenses once workers hit year two of their residency in the state. West Virginia’s program is particularly unique as it seeks to attract people who love the outdoors, offering a year of free outdoor activities such as downhill skiing and whitewater rafting on top of the usual free access to a coworking spaces.
While major companies like X, Meta, and Amazon have cut back on work from home arrangements with their own workers, it seems that the trend – largely brought about by the pandemic – is here to stay. A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that around 35% of workers who have the option to work at home do so all the time, while 41% of workers with remote jobs prefer a hybrid model – one that combines in-person work at the office and telecommute work.
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