Jackson Hole - Declining Labor Mobility

Aug 27, 2025

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Every year the Kansas City Fed hosts the Jackson Hole symposium. All eyes are on the opening speech from Jerome Powell which was widely covered by the news media. To me, the more interesting talks are the invited speakers who give talks on various elements of the economy. The theme this year at Jackson Hole is demographics and the impact on the labor market. So this week we will be doing a mini series summarizing the most noteworthy talks from Jackson Hole this year.

Some of these talks are considered boring by the news media and they don’t get covered. But for those who seek to understand how the economy functions, these talks are very interesting.

On today's show we are examining a paper called "Interstate Labor Mobility and the US Economy". It has four authors, two from the University of Michigan and two from Europe.

Their paper discusses how Gross migration rates within the United States have undergone a subtle but significant transformation over the past five decades. While some sources, notably the Current Population Survey (CPS), paint a picture of a steep decline, plunging from over 3% to a mere 1.2% by the end of the sample period, a closer look at more robust data tells a different story. Using IRS data, the authors show that labor force mobility declined to 2.5% from 3% over that same time period.

They further break down the components of why people move. One factor that I believe was not adequately addressed is the rise of remote work. People don't have to move for work in many instances. That virtual mobility may in fact be by choice rather than necessity.

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