Local Firm Helps Forge New Economic Playbook

The pandemic has created a massive paradigm shift in the way cities and regions hunt for jobs.

And a local company headed by Angie’s List co-founder Bill Oesterle is trying to make sure workers and communities across the country maximize the benefits of this seismic change.

Gone are the days when economic development officials merely hunted for companies to bring in scores of jobs. With the number of permanent remote workers more than quadrupling in the last year, a fast-growing number of city, county and state officials are trying to lure individuals who will bring their job—and the resulting economic impact—with them.

In the last six months, dozens of cities and regions across the country have started offering individual workers a variety of incentives, including housing enticements, moving expenses and up to $20,000 in cash, depending on the salary of the job a remote worker brings and the length of time they commit to stay.