out west

[jasonlulu_2000]

He had lost his job out west and saw little hope of finding another one.

What does "out west" mean in this sentence? Is there any cultural connotation?

Thanks

 

[5jj]

west noun - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online

 

[BobSmith]

[AmE - not a teacher]

In the US, we collocate these words "out west" and "back east", to represent the other side of the country from where you are currently. I think the east-to-west sense is embedded in the language because of how the country was settled.