A city that has given itself the nickname ‘world’s largest small town’ is providing $10,000 to encourage people from outside to relocate and work there.
Tulsa, the second largest city in Oklahoma, is tempting flexible American workers with cash rewards.
‘Hey there, remote workers! Searching for a fresh start?’ asks the Tulsa Remote Program website. ‘We give a $10,000 grant to aid you in making Tulsa your new base and home.’
The program claims to be ‘constructing and nurturing a thriving remote work community in Tulsa’ and providing ‘resources to support newcomers’ as well as ‘an active and helpful community’.
To qualify, applicants need to have authorization to work in the US, currently hold full-time remote employment outside of Oklahoma, and have lived outside the state for a year prior to applying. They also need to be at least 18 years old and be capable of relocating to Tulsa within 12 months of joining the program.
Selected candidates will need to undergo a 30-minute English-language virtual interview with program staff, and pass a background check and income verification.
The $10,000 grant will be given through monthly payments to renters or homebuyers, or as a lump sum after buying an eligible home.
According to the program, over 2,500 remote workers have already moved to Tulsa.
It has been working anecdotally.
‘I can honestly say that moving to Tulsa is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,’ a new resident, Montana Cain, told the Mirror US on Tuesday.
‘I’ve grown my personal and professional networks, and I genuinely feel like I have been able to find my people.’
Tulsa, which was once the ‘oil capital of the world’, recorded a population of about 411,000 in the 2022 US Census Bureau.
It is not the only city in the Sooner State working to boost its appeal.
Officials of the state’s biggest city, Oklahoma City, are considering a proposal to erect the tallest skyscraper in the US and the fifth highest in the world there. The ‘Legends Tower’ would be 1,907 feet, surpassing One World Trade Center in New York City which is currently the tallest in America.
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