A study from Evansville-based Atlas Van Lines shows businesses are optimistic about the volumes and budgets for future corporate relocations. The annual Corporate Relocation Survey indicates more than one in five firms expects relocation volumes to increase this year. Atlas says a majority of the firms surveyed also anticipate their overall financial performance to improve compared to 2009.

EVANSVILLE, Ind.--Despite the current economic recession, businesses are optimistic about the volumes and budgets for future corporate relocations, according to Atlas Van Lines' 43rd annual Corporate Relocation Survey, released today. More than one in five firms surveyed expect relocation volumes to increase in 2010, a great improvement over last year, when more than half of surveyed firms predicted a decrease in relocations. Other positive signs include the majority of firms indicating they expect their overall financial performances to improve compared to 2009. With guarded optimism, most responding firms expect stability or even improvement in both the U.S. economy and real estate market.

The Atlas survey--the only survey of its kind--has for 43 years explored trends in how corporations move existing employees or newly hired staff. Most survey respondents work in human resources/personnel or relocation services departments for service, manufacturing, wholesale/retail, financial or government organizations, and more than half work for international companies. Atlas, the Evansville-based corporate relocation, transportation and global logistics firm, announces its survey results to coincide with the annual Atlas Forum on Moving in April. "These survey results are a possible early sign of a recovery for the relocation industry, and they indicate that companies are finding ways to contain costs while retaining employee incentives," said Jack Griffin, president and COO of Atlas Van Lines. "But the best news is that firms are predicting a brighter future both for themselves and the overall economy."

Here's a closer look at developing trends in corporate relocation: Employees more willing to relocate Employees appear to have been slightly more willing to relocate in 2009 than they were the previous year. More than half (56 percent) of responding firms saw employees decline relocations, compared to 65 percent in 2008. For the second year in a row, housing/mortgage concerns surpassed family issues/ties as the No. 1 reason for refusing relocation. Seventy-seven percent of respondents cited housing concerns, including worries about selling a home, as the reason for declining relocation.

However, 66 percent of firms responding offered employees incentives to encourage relocations, with relocation bonuses, loss-on-sale protection, cost-of-living adjustments and extended duplicate/temporary housing benefits rounding out the top four methods used. In 2009, extending duplicate/temporary housing benefits jumped to the most popular perk, with 69 percent of firms offering this incentive. So successful were these incentives that 90 percent of companies said they "almost always" or "frequently" convinced an employee to relocate. Forty-five percent of companies also help an employee's spouse find work in a new location. Economy, not lack of local talent, impacting moves For the first time since 2003, a lack of qualified people locally was not the biggest influence on relocation. Instead, more than half (53 percent) of companies cited economic conditions as the biggest influence on relocations, with just 31 percent citing a lack of qualified people locally. And 37 percent say declining an opportunity that involves relocation can hinder an employee's career. A more encouraging outlook for 2010 Responding firms indicated the number of employees relocated and relocating budgets significantly decreased compared to 2008. Forty-two percent said they moved fewer employees last year, compared to just one-fourth experiencing declines in relocation volumes in 2008. Additionally, over a third saw decreases in relocation budgets last year (compared to 19 percent in 2008); while only 18 percent indicated budgets increased. The percentages of firms expecting increases in relocation volumes and budgets in 2010 are roughly twice that of last year. Internationally, relocation volume expectations improved slightly overall compared to the previous year. Nearly two-thirds of firms expect international relocation volumes to remain stable. Survey fast facts · Eighty-two percent of firms have a formal relocation policy. ·

Relocations were almost equally split between transferees and new hires in 2009. · Males age 36-40 were the most frequently relocated employee in 2009; only 17 percent of relocations involved female employees. · Forty-five percent of relocations involved employees with children; 60 percent of those relocated were homeowners. · One-quarter of responding firms give employees one week or less to accept a relocation offer. · More than three-fourths of companies reimburse moving companies to pack all items; 29 percent will even reimburse the cost of moving pets. · The Midwest was the top destination of transfers (36 percent) followed by the South (28 percent) and the Northeast (27 percent). · Among international relocations, the most frequent destinations were Europe (47 percent) followed by Asia/Pacific Rim (36 percent). ·

Over the past two years, the percentages of firms using full, lump sum (relocation allotment) or partial reimbursement for new hires have become nearly identical. Nearly 300 corporate relocation professionals completed the online survey between January 11 and February 26. Respondents must have relocation responsibility and work for a company that has either relocated employees within the past two years or plans to relocate employees this year. Half of the companies surveyed this year relocate employees between countries. For complete survey results, visit www.atlasworldgroup.com/survey. AAtlas Van Lines is the largest subsidiary of Atlas World Group, an Evansville, Ind.-based company. Atlas World Group companies employ nearly 700 people throughout North America. More than 500 Atlas interstate agents in the United States and Canada specialize in corporate relocation, household moving services and in the transportation of high-value items such as electronics, fine art, new fixtures and furniture. Visit www.atlasworldgroup.com for more information on the company and Atlas agents. Source: Atlas World Group