Remote or not, workers are drifting back toward the city

""The reversal suggests that even fully remote workers value proximity to urban centers. Return-to-office mandates may play a role - workers who expect occasional in-person requirements are less likely to relocate far from cities.""

""That talent still lives in major metro areas, closer to big cities than they have in recent years, and they're a hot commodity for companies around the world.""

""Among nearly 100 startups, the study found that cross-border hiring overwhelmingly targets high-income countries, which runs counter to the idea that international hiring is primarily about cost-cutting.""

Since 2022, there has been a notable shift of workers moving closer to major cities, influenced by return-to-office mandates. A report analyzing over one million worker contracts indicates that the average distance between employees and urban centers has decreased annually. This trend is especially evident in the US, UK, and France. Workers, even those fully remote, value urban proximity, likely due to cultural factors and occasional in-person requirements. Additionally, international hiring focuses on high-income countries, with software developers being the most sought-after talent.

Read at Theregister