Oklahoma organization offering $10K if you move to Tulsa for remote work

article

FILE - The skyline is seen from the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on October 02, 2017. (Shane Bevel/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

TULSA, Okla. - Looking for a new place to work remotely? An initiative in Oklahoma is looking to lure remote workers to Tulsa with $10,000 grants.

Tulsa Remote is hoping to inspire more people to move into the state with its recruitment initiative. The group aims to assist with job searching, matching and hiring of potential new employees who will reside in Oklahoma.

“The program brings remote workers and digital nomads to the community by providing $10,000 grants and numerous community-building opportunities. Each grant is distributed over the course of a year to eligible remote workers or entrepreneurs living outside of Oklahoma,” according to the Tulsa Remote website.

The initiative started in 2018 to attract “diverse and talented” groups of people to the growing city of Tulsa. Funding is currently provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

The interview process in order to be considered for the grant is fairly standard. Tulsa Remote will assign a team that reviews each application, after which a video interview is conducted with each finalist. An in-person visit could also be arranged in some cases, according to the website.

IMF shares bleak forecast for global economy

The International Monetary Fund has sharply lowered its forecast for global growth this year because it envisions far more severe economic damage from the coronavirus than it did just two months ago.

And if the potential new resident is hired for a remote position with a company within Oklahoma, not only will Tulsa Remote pay them $10,000, but new hires are also eligible to “receive a year membership at a local co-working space, support in identifying housing, and regular community-building opportunities,” according to Tulsa Remote.

The initiative only allows for residents to live within Tulsa city limits. “Surrounding areas such as Bixby, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Sapulpa or Jenks” are not eligible for the incentives, according to Tulsa Remote.

The website also notes that rideshare or delivery jobs with Lyft, Uber, Grubhub or DoorDash are not considered remote employment.

A $10,000 payout as well as the lure of a remote job could be a very welcome idea for many people, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As virus cases surge throughout the country, the U.S. economy is under pressure from persistent layoffs, diminished income and nervous consumers, whose spending is needed to drive a recovery from the pandemic.

Data released Wednesday suggested that the spread of the virus is intensifying the threats to an economy still struggling to recover from the deep recession that struck in early spring.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week for a second straight week to 778,000, evidence that many employers are still slashing jobs more than eight months after the virus hit. Before the pandemic, weekly jobless claims typically amounted to only about 225,000. Layoffs are still historically high, with many businesses unable to fully reopen and some, especially restaurants and bars, facing tightened restrictions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.