I take this as good news.

According to new data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm, a little more than 18 percent of job seekers who found work in the second quarter moved in order to take these new positions. That compares with 14.3 percent in the first quarter and 11.4 percent in the year-ago period. The data are based on a survey of 3,000 people.

Until now, people had been reluctant to move because they were afraid of losing money on their homes and concerned about how long their new jobs might last, Challenger says.

But now a heightened urgency to find work is taking hold, and that could have an upside for some regions.

“If the still-nascent upward trend continues, it could help reignite home sales in some areas of the country, particularly those with more job opportunities,” Challenger notes.

While it might be unpleasant, this is how Americans have coped with economic downturns and regional weaknesses since the Great Depression. Strike that, Americans have been moving around since the nation was founded.

One of the enduring strengths of the economy has been the willingness to strike out and move to where employment opportunities were better. That mobility has set us apart for the better from most other industrialized nations. For awhile it looked like it was waning, so it’s nice to see a bit of a comeback.

more: here