In Case You Missed It:

1. Average Salary Comparison by Country
2. Common Challenges in Global Mobility and How to Overcome Them
3. The Importance of Transparency in Relocation Policies

Navigating Rising Relocation Costs: Updated 2025 HR Playbook

With 2026 on the horizon, many organizations are already preparing for what’s ahead. This month, we’re providing tools and insights to support your planning process.

Relocation costs continue to challenge HR professionals, but CapRelo has compiled solutions to help organizations maintain their budgets while ensuring employee satisfaction. In our recent blog, 10 Tips for Navigating Rising Relocation Costs: Updated 2025 HR Playbook, we share practical guidance on how to deploy effective relocation policies in the midst of today’s evolving market. Our playbook provides actionable steps to reduce costs and track key metrics at every stage. The 2025 updates offer insight into current trends, including growing inflation, employee preferences regarding well-being and hybrid work arrangements, an emphasis on sustainability, and the use of AI-driven analytics for informed decision-making. With these insights and others, HR professionals can effectively manage costs while maintaining a competitive edge.

The Impact: This playbook encourages companies to maintain a keen eye on the market to understand how to strike a balance between financial efficiency and employee satisfaction and retention. Employees are increasingly seeking out modern resources, including the rise of AI-driven tools and managed budget models. Flexible benefit structures indicate a shift in the relocation industry toward data-informed mobility programs. CapRelo’s approach, integrating technology, policy design, and employee support, positions organizations to meet these challenges head-on while turning mobility into a strategic advantage.

Gold Handcuffs: How Housing Costs Are Freezing U.S. Home Sales

According to the WSJ, Americans are relocating to new cities for employment at the lowest rate seen in history. This is due in part to homeowners being held by “golden handcuffs”, meaning they have lower mortgage interest rates and are not looking to enter a high-rate market. The pandemic’s Great Resignation was brief, and in 2023, only 7.8% of Americans moved, the lowest rate recorded since 1948. Older owners want to downsize to smaller homes in their area but are struggling to find suitable homes at an affordable price. Recent graduates are spending more time hunting for jobs, as some are discovering that entry-level positions are scarce, decreasing their chances of relocating. Soaring home prices have deterred numerous job seekers from relocating, which affects national mobility rates. According to census data, same-county moves have declined by roughly 47% over the past three decades. As the housing market continues to fluctuate and employment opportunities shift, finding creative ways to reach prospects is crucial.

The Impact: For employers managing relocations, the current housing market conditions mean that talent with limited financial resources may not have the means to move for new opportunities. Mobility strategies must now consider creative housing assistance programs, cost-of-living support, and flexible relocation packages that make moving financially viable in a high-interest, low-inventory market. With housing costs limiting workforce mobility, companies face greater challenges in relocating talent. CapRelo helps by designing flexible, cost-sensitive relocation packages—including housing assistance and creative benefits—that reduce financial barriers and make moving viable.

H-1B on the Horizon: Preparing Mobility Programs for the Next Big Shift

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing reforms to the existing H-1B Visa program that will impact thousands of workers, especially those within the technology sector, according to Newsweek. Under proposed changes, the H-1B visa program would transition from a random lottery system to a tiered system based on wage and skill.  The DHS intends to review occupational wage data and issue visas to individuals in higher-wage positions. Further modifications to the H-1B visa program scheduled for December 2025, as reported by The Times of India, include the following changes:

• Revise the criteria for exemptions from the annual H-1B visa cap
• Impose stricter conditions on third-party placements

Boost scrutiny of employers who have previously violated program rules

Under these new rules, if approved, lower-wage workers would face a tough time, as their tiered wage structure would put them at a disadvantage. This also affects employers who rely on their labor.

The Impact: Proposed H-1B reforms could reshape how companies attract and retain global talent across industries and wage tiers. Mobility leaders should prepare for increased competition for high-earning candidates identified as top-tier prospects, while also exploring alternative visa pathways and retention strategies to ensure access to critical talent in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape. One actionable step is reviewing policies for common H-1B move lanes to ensure benefits remain competitive and aligned with employee expectations. With visa pauses and labor shortages disrupting industries reliant on cross-border workers, proactive policy adjustments and strategic mobility planning are essential to keep talent pipelines flowing.

 Global Mobility Radar

CapRelo’s Mobility Radar provides valuable insights into trends worth monitoring. This month, we have detected important global mobility updates in the United Kingdom, Panama, and India.

• The United Kingdom is seeing its highest rates of home sales since 2022 as cheaper mortgage rates give way to purchases among first-time homeowners. The higher stamp duty, which took effect in April 2025, fueled home closings, leading to record sales for July 2025 alone.
• The Panama Canal’s operator is looking to increase carrier competition by selling two plots reserved for the development of two new ports. With canal transit increasing, port competition and the development of new terminals could reduce congestion and lower shipping rates for international household goods. A deal to purchase the plots is underway, but a current geopolitical conflict is hindering its closure.
• TerraTern, a globally based Indian startup, is utilizing AI-powered pathways to prepare Indians for the global workforce. Complete with mock interview prep, eligibility checker, and visa support, TerraTern boasts that it has already handled over 50,000 eligibility query requests across more than 50 destination countries.