Traditionally, people have been forced to move to big cities to take advantage the best job opportunities. But this also involved taking on higher living costs and suffering long and crowded commutes.
However, with Covid-19 showing the majority of business owners (and employees) that remote working can be just as effective, we could witness a major mindset shift.
This is according to a new report from software company Citrix, based on a poll of 1,000 UK office workers, which states that just a quarter (25 percent) believe living in a large city has a positive impact on career opportunities and progression – down from 45 percent prior to the pandemic.
For half (49 percent), location makes no difference, while one in ten actually believe living in the city could be deleterious. Besides career opportunities, workers are also mindful of their work-life balance and cost of living, and consider these two as major incentives to move out of big cities.
Many workers are also acting on these beliefs, either actively relocating or making plans to do so. Of those planning to relocate, half consider it a temporary solution, but a third see it as permanent.
The majority of the young workers (aged 18 – 24) said they would consider moving if they could do their job without having to commute.
An exodus from major cities would also give businesses a chance to slash overheads, by cutting down on office space or relocating to cheaper locations.
