More than one in five firms expect relocation volumes to increase in 2010, up from more than half expecting a decrease last year
, according to Atlas Van Lines' 43rd annual Corporate Relocation Survey.

The majority of firms indicated 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.

"These results indicate that companies are finding ways to contain relocation costs while retaining employee incentives," said Jack Griffin, president and chief operating officer of Atlas Van Lines. "But the best news is that firms are predicting a brighter future both for themselves and the overall economy."

According to the survey, slightly more employees were willing to relocate in 2009, with 56 percent of firms indicating employees were declining relocations. In 2008, however, 65 percent of respondents had employees declining relocations.

For the second consecutive year, housing/mortgage concerns surpassed family issues/ties as the top reason for refusing relocation. Seventy-seven percent of respondents cited housing concerns, including worries about selling a home, as the reason for declining relocation.

For the first time since 2003, a lack of qualified people locally was not the biggest influence on relocation. Instead, about 53 percent of companies cited economic conditions as the biggest influence on relocations, with just 31 percent citing a lack of qualified people locally.

Nearly 300 corporate relocation professionals completed the online survey between Jan.11 and Feb. 26.

For complete survey results, visit www.atlasworldgroup.com/survey.