Migration and Job Transfers in the United States

Each year about one American in five changes residence - almost twice the rate of Britain and France (Long, 1988: pp. 260, 280). Most moves take place within the same community without disrupting social networks. At 1983 rates newborn Americans could expect on the average 10.5 moves in a lifetime: 6.4 within-county moves, 3.8 intercounty migrations and 0.3 residence changes across an international boundary (Long, 1988: 304).