Job recruiters in the South are facing hurdles to attract skilled professionals from the Midwest despite offering competitive compensation packages, according to a Bloomberg report published Friday. That’s because many of these potential hires are locked into super-low 30-year mortgages.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the proportion of job seekers in the U.S. who relocated for employment dwindled to a mere 1.5%. That marked the lowest level on record, according to a survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. 

Janet Rivera Jones, founder of Florida-based 5 Star Global Recruitment Partners, told Bloomberg that potential hires who are repaying low-interest mortgages are often reluctant to move unless they’re offered relocation packages that account for the differential in housing costs.

According to an analysis conducted by Bloomberg on data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, approximately one-fifth of U.S. homeowners carry mortgages with interest rates below 3%, while nearly 35% have rates ranging between 3% and 4%. Current rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage are about 7% and have more than doubled since hitting a historic low point of 2.85% in December 2020.

Meanwhile, the costs associated with employee relocations are on the rise. For mid-level managers, average relocation expenditures in the U.S. last year stood at $78,330 for homeowners and $33,349 for renters, according to data from ARC Relocation, a consultancy that offers employee relocation assistance for federal agencies and corporate clients.