Exactly this. Moving for a job is rarely something people actually want to do, it's a price people were willing to pay.
I can’t say I know anyone who left a small town in the south who pine to go back even if there were jobs.
Also, there are certainly people who actually want to move for a job itself. I'm just asserting that they're a very small minority.
“Unambitious Loser With Happy, Fulfilling Life Still Lives In Hometown”
https://theonion.com/unambitious-loser-with-happy-fulfilling...
Read the article, it’s a condemnation of people who think the guy is “a loser”. It’s not an insult to people who decide to stay in small towns.
I'd even take it a step further: if you're happy in the place you live, moving for a job is a mistake.