This article originally appeared on HireaHelper.com.
While lockdowns kept us in one place during the COVID pandemic, many Americans still moved during this global crisis—many, because of it.
Among those surveyed who moved in 2020, 25% report their move was due in some part to the pandemic, per the HireAHelper American Migration Report. Respondents say their reasons for moving varied, from financial hardships to downsizing their living arrangements, to a growing need to look after their families.
While we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, the U.S. appears to be on a path to recovery. Many Americans are choosing to get vaccinated (though the percentages remain alarmingly skewed by political affiliation), lockdowns and mask mandates have lifted in many communities, and employees are returning to previously closed worksites.
Looking back over the span of the pandemic thus far, how have so-called “pandemic moves” worked out for those who made them?
To find out, HireAHelper spoke to people who moved during the pandemic to get a closer look at the unique obstacles and opportunities that drove their decisions to move.
The Challenges of Deciding to Move During COVID
A pandemic hardly creates the ideal circumstances for a dream move. Those who moved due to situations caused by COVID were slightly more likely to have regrets about their move (31%) compared to those who moved for other reasons (30%). (See the data here.)
But while there were many reported negatives to moving in 2020, it’s not all regrets, either. People reported many ways the pandemic changed the landscape of their lives overnight, including ways that introduced new pressures, challenges, and obstacles—as well as rare and fortuitous opportunities.
The Tense Household Relationships
As lockdowns took effect, many households reported their living arrangements were thrown into chaos and upheaval.
College students and adult children moved back in with their parents. Parents of young children struggled without child care. Couples who were now working from home together suddenly had to navigate being officemates, as well as roommates and partners.
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