(CNN) -- Worried that her job might be cut in Texas, IT professional Elisa Sumner took a big step by deciding to work on the other side of the world in Shanghai, China. Sumner's high-tech company in Austin, Texas, was laying off people in her area of the business and hiring aggressively in Asia. The 45-year-old decided to take a job in Shanghai and move with her company, even though she could have eventually found work elsewhere in the United States. Sumner's husband, Joel Sumner, a senior research and development manager, followed her to China with a job that has evolved into something "bigger" than his old one.
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An American couple moves to China for work and tells their story to CNN.com.
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"I probably could have found another job in @placeholder, but it would have taken some time to find a position given my skill set and seniority," Sumner said.
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The @placeholder haven't made it clear, either, how many Americans are working in their country.
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@placeholder can live relatively cheaply (U.S. $1,000 a month) if they stick to the living standards of the lower- and middle-class ends of the local population.
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The couple has a part-time house cleaner who comes to their Chinese apartment twice a week for 2-3 hours a time and she is paid $75 (@placeholder) a month, which they consider a nice luxury.