Oregon Public Broadcasting

A report released Monday shows that by one measure fewer people are moving to Oregon than in the past. Ryan Knutson reports.

An annual report released by Atlas Van Lines, a moving company, says that 721 people or families used the company to move into the state in 2009.

About a thousand more people used the companies’ services to move to the state in the year 2000.

By Atlas Van Lines’ calculations, that means the number of people moving into Oregon is now closer to the number of people leaving.

Risa Proehl of the population research center at Portland State University says the slowdown is mostly due to the recession.

Risa Proehl: “It costs money to move. And the promise of a job, or confidence that they’re going to secure employment is a driving factor of moving, and our unemployment rate has been really high in Oregon.”

The moving company’s report falls in line with recent census data.