Place identity and careers in regional Australia

Abstract

Emerging public discourse about making a “tree change”, “green change”, or “sea change” emphasizes the putative benefits of working and residing in regional Australia. Yet, attracting and retaining workers in the regions is a challenge for policymakers, governments, and industries. The present research involved two separate surveys of people residing in regional Australian communities to discern demographic and psychological predictors of their intent to stay in their region: income, years in the region, family, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and place identity. Multiple regression analyses found incremental evidence of place identity as a predictor of intent to stay. The findings regarding place identity have implications for career development practice, human resources recruitment strategies, and public policy focused on regional Australia.