Careers Smart Stories
Career and migration data stories about remote work trends, geographic mobility, and workforce changes.
The 28% You Leave: The Performance Review Math No One Shows You
Careers • Salary Negotiation • Performance Reviews • Workplace Strategy • Career Growth
28% of workers who asked got exactly what they requested. 38% got more than first offered. Only 35% got nothing beyond the initial number. BLS data shows employers budget 3.9% for 2025 raises while inflation runs near 3%. Your real raise might be under 1%. The performance review is not a verdict. It is a negotiation most employees never enter.
66% of workers who negotiate succeed. 94% of offers remain intact after asking. Yet 55% never try. Your documented wins become your manager's ammunition for the budget meeting. Preparation is the leverage. The ask is the easy part.
The $40/Hour Secret: Why Skilled Trades Are Winning
Careers • Construction • Trade Jobs • Labor Market • Wages
Manufacturing lost 183,000 jobs. Construction added 340,000. We're building more but making less. The average construction worker is 42 years old, and the industry needs half a million new workers annually. Who's going to build the future?
Construction wages hit $40/hour in 2025, up 40% since 2020. An apprentice earns $160K over four years while a college student accumulates debt. The market is speaking: build things, get paid.
The 367,804 Exodus: Why New Yorkers Are Leaving in Record Numbers
Careers • Remote Work • Relocation • Geographic Arbitrage
New York lost 367,804 people, the largest exodus in the country. Idaho surged +6.58%. Dallas Fort Worth added 500,000 people. Remote work cracked America's talent map: workers kept coastal salaries but moved where housing was cheaper and taxes were lower. Changing your ZIP code can boost disposable income 30 to 45% overnight.
New York lost 367,804 people. Idaho grew +6.58%. Changing your ZIP code can boost disposable income 30 to 45% overnight. The American Dream is spreading out, creating opportunity everywhere, not just coastal cities.