MakeMyMove hits milestone for remote worker relocations
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An online marketplace that allows communities across the country to create a profile and offer incentives to attract remote workers to their area says Indiana has crossed the 1,000-worker threshold of relocations.
Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove.com features postings from more than 60 Hoosier communities, many of which are offering cash, passes to coworking spaces and club memberships to woo workers. The state has attracted 1,200 new residents through the program.
“Indiana is a great home base for remote workers,” MakeMyMove co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Evan Hock said in a news release. “The welcoming communities and affordable life make it a perfect destination for talented folks looking for a change. The state’s strategy is a template for places that are looking for fresh ways to grow their economies.”
A snapshot of highlights illustrates the effectiveness of the program:
- Newcomers came from 44 states and five countries and settled in 31 counties across the state.
- Nearly three-fourths of the newcomers are college educated, and they are employed in fields such as technology, finance and sales.
- Their median household income is $100,000, 50% higher than the state average.
- Slightly more than half of the movers relocated to communities experiencing population declines.
“Population growth is a catalyst for community-wide economic growth,” Tony Denhart, executive vice president of workforce and talent at the Indiana Economic Development Corp., said in the release. “Through remote worker recruitment, we can inject talent and economic activity directly into communities that need it the most.”
Southern Indiana welcomed 186 new residents through the program, MakeMyMove said.
“Our prior strategy was very reflective of the old model of economic development, which focused entirely on enticing businesses to move to the area,” said Jeff Quyle, CEO of southern Indiana economic development organization Radius Indiana. “Because of remote work, we’re learning we can also ‘sell’ our region to high-income talent directly. It’s been a rewarding and extremely ROI positive activity for us.”
MakeMyMove, which launched in late 2021, initially set out to recruit talent to Indiana companies, Hock told Inside INdiana Business in November. But the pandemic broadened the company’s scope as remote work expanded nationwide.