The housing crisis: a real brake on talent mobility

The housing crisis has ceased to be an exclusively social issue and has become a structural barrier in the labor market. Current indicators show that housing availability and cost act as the main filter in recruitment processes, even above economic compensation. In areas with high real estate pressure, the salary received—regardless of how competitive it may be—is significantly eroded by rental costs.

Based on Etalentum’s experience, this lack of balance between wages and the cost of living restricts the talent pool to local levels, forcing artificial wage inflation to offset housing costs and increasing companies’ operating expenses. Likewise, the housing shortage is leading to higher early turnover rates: candidates who take on long commutes experience progressive burnout, while others opt for secondary markets with lower entry barriers, weakening the professional fabric of large cities.