Mobility

[RIO]

Recently in class we were talking about the ten standard Federal Regions established by the Office of Management and Budget in 1974:

Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Region III: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma
Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Region IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

The discussion then went to which regions had people that were the most mobile and which regions had people that were the least mobile. Our class did an unscientific survey which came up with Region I and Region II had people who least wanted to move while Region IX and Region IV had people more willing to move.

Would you folks agree with our unscientific survey?

[JakeLock]

What did you base this study on?

[RIO]

Please remember I said it was unscientific. During one of our breaks we asked other students and instructors - From the list of regions below, which region would have people more likely to move for a job, and which region had people less likely to move for a job?

A total of 92 people answered our survey
56 said Region I had people less likely to move
24 said Region II had people less likely to move
39 said Region IX had people more likely to move
37 said Region IV had people more likely to move

[BP348]

Please remember I said it was unscientific. During one of our breaks we asked other students and instructors - From the list of regions below, which region would have people more likely to move for a job, and which region had people less likely to move for a job?

A total of 92 people answered our survey
56 said Region I had people less likely to move
24 said Region II had people less likely to move
39 said Region IX had people more likely to move
37 said Region IV had people more likely to move

Unscientific being the correct word.

What you had was 92 people giving an opinion, that's it. The only way to find out for sure would be to conduct a survey (large scale?) and then work the stats.

That being said I know that USBP has a very hard time getting people from Region V. For what ever reason people from that area don't want to move to the southern border to take the position. If I had to guess I would say it's because people in that area never see or hear about USBP.

I know I'd never seen a USBP agent before my oral interview.

[Switchback]

Most federal agencies with which I am familiar have a hard time staffing II and III (assuming this is the one that would include DC). It seems people cannot get away from these regions fast enough... so, I would say that your assessment is seriously flawed.

BTW, I am speaking with experience having spent time in those regions (and being one of many making the great escape), as well as having MANY associates in the federal system who have been there or are trying to avoid them.

[BP348]

What about staffing IX (as in CA?) I know when I turned down the offer from ICE the lady didn't tell me how many had turned it down she just said that A LOT had.