Most Americans would job-hunt close to home
Core finding
If they were looking for a new job, nearly eight-in-ten Americans (79%) would be willing to search in their own city, town, or village, and two-thirds (67%) would search the immediate neighborhood or community around where they live, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.
Willingness thins with distance: 41% would look across their region or state, 21% in regions or states close to theirs, 19% anywhere in the country, and just 9% in other countries.
Selected responses
Most Americans would job-hunt close to home.
Imagine you were actively searching for a new job. Please select from the following environments the places you would be willing to search for this new job
n = 1,000 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | daily_life |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
Imagine you were actively searching for a new job. Please select from the following environments the places you would be willing to search for this new job
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.