I can't help but think this take is projecting a bit too much.
Inundated? How so? What are you seeing?
Tax benefits, work-life balance and bigger homes? Really, you can see these changes in the last 6 months of a pandemic? I could be wrong but I don't think the majority of employers are letting employees change states (and state taxes). WFH does not mean work from anywhere, especially tax-wise.
This all sounds plausible longer term but to say you're inundated seems like it must be hyperbolic.
A majority of tech workers in California are from somewhere else, who came to California for the opportunity. They know what it's like back home. And yes, especially the 30-somethings with kids, they're leaving
I'm not saying there isn't some desire among employees but most companies do not want to pay taxes in 50 states. I don't think the vast majority of workers can simply move without changing employers.
> but most companies do not want to pay taxes in 50 states
Surely not but I would wager that most employees work for companies that already have multi-state (and in many cases multi-national) operations, and therefore have the administrative infrastructure to support employees in arbitrary states.
You are an engineering manager for XYZ Corp. Your boss asks you whether employees should be able to work out of state, and still be equally productive.
After during research, you come to the conclusion that yes, productivity won’t fall. However, you note that finance has flagged the payrolls issue.
Your boss tells payroll to sort out multi state taxes.
And if anyone reading this is thinking of doing this, really research the taxes. For example if your company does not have an office presence in the state you move to, you will pay state taxes for both that state and California. If your company gave you any stock related compensation, California wants a piece of those too, even after you've moved.
Not OP, but I know three different families who are actively visiting other states to decide where to live next because they so loathe Newsom and the California governance writ large. They never liked it, but the wildfires, pandemic response, and ability to work elsewhere pushed them over the edge.
Yea, I would leave the Bay Area in a millisecond, but only if I could still keep access to the Bay Area job market as a remote employee. There are plenty of great places in the USA without the crushing taxes, endless commutes, and one-sided politics of CA. I would gladly accept a "cost-of-living adjustment" to my salary if I could work from home in NV or FL or something.
Stories about problems in California get a lot of clicks, so people see a couple week’s worth of bad news and think the state is on fire is ways that aren’t due to actual flames.
Inundated? How so? What are you seeing?
Tax benefits, work-life balance and bigger homes? Really, you can see these changes in the last 6 months of a pandemic? I could be wrong but I don't think the majority of employers are letting employees change states (and state taxes). WFH does not mean work from anywhere, especially tax-wise.
This all sounds plausible longer term but to say you're inundated seems like it must be hyperbolic.