I'd say that this is true and especially in the US. However, the other day I was listening to NPR and a story came on about unemployed people in Andalusia and how a significant portion elected to remain there and take up jobs like picking olives, rather than going to be aircraft technicians in Germany. Then again, the family and extended family tend to be much closer in Spain than in the US. In general, I'd say from what I've observed and experienced, social bonds in many other countries tend to be much stronger than in the US. Here, people call each other friends quite often, but the substance of that friendship seems to be thin. There are a whole lot of lonely people in America, even if they're rarely ever alone.Working somewhere where you already have a base is a huge plus and something that I don't think is emphasized by most people.