The first comprehensive study of the economics of the U.S. moving and storage industry reveals a $16.5 billion sector providing 122,600 jobs distributed through all 50 states, with local small businesses making up 96 percent of the industry's establishments.
Eight-four percent are "micro-businesses" earning less than $1 million annually, while accounting for more than one-third of industry jobs.

The report provides a detailed description of the moving and storage industry's impact on the U.S. economy, which includes $8.9 billion in household earnings; 353,000 associated jobs; and $1.2 billion in tax revenues.

The 8,100 U.S. moving and storage companies, doing business at 17,000 locations, spent $7 billion on equipment, materials, parts and supplies, insurance and other items in 2005, the latest year for which such figures are available.

"This report details how our industry helps people move to new jobs and opportunities and makes both residential and corporate mobility easier," said Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of the American Moving & Storage Association, which commissioned the report by Nathan Associates. "It also shows how resilient these companies are by diversifying during the current economic downturn."

Other highlights of the study, sponsored by AMSA's Moving & Storage Institute, include:

• Although the household customer segment accounts for most of the industry's shipment volume, corporate customers provide the most revenue.
• The largest single industry "customer" is the Department of Defense,
• Half of all moving and storage industry jobs are in eight states, with California accounting for the largest single concentration, followed in order by Florida, New York, and Texas.
• The industry accounts for nearly 8 percent of the total revenue of the U.S. truck transportation sector.

For more info and the complete report: www.promover.org/files/msi/msi_report.pdf