i think kat addressed some of the issues of relocating very well. that and needing to be near family to take care of aging parents, etc, can also come into play. the two body problem (two people needing jobs) can also come into play, especially when those careers happen to be professions where the jobs are scarce or tend to only be in certain areas. as kat said, situations can often be quite complex. but the main point i was trying to make is that even people with professions that took many years of training are hired part time or "full time" but only 35 hours a week so that their employer doesn't have to pay benefits. sometimes, as in the restaurant business, its a small business, and they simply can't afford things like health insurance for their employees if the business is to stay afloat. with larger companies, well, i'd like to hold my opinions because they are just that, opinions. my niece and nephew don't complain though, they are happy to have jobs within their professions. still, they are caught in a situation without adequate coverage if anything were to happen.