It's not quite as simplistic as you make it seem.
It's not quite as simplistic as you make it seem.
If someone wants to leave the US and move elsewhere, they need to be a skilled worker to make it happen. Poor Americans tend to be a net drain on society, so other countries don't usually want them.
But if you are a skilled worker, the economics make it a lot better to live in the US. I recently considered moving to London, but the economics just made it ridiculous [1]. I would have taken a 30-40% nominal pay cut relative to the US (i.e., convert my salary from GBP to USD, it's 30-40% less). The UK was also far more expensive when I visited - compare a 1-2 zone Oyster card (112GBP unlimited monthly) to an unlimited metrocard (104 USD), or the price of brunch (10GBP vs 10USD).
[1] I would have been willing to take a moderate pay cut just to live somewhere different, but the cost of living in London was just too high.