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1 in 5 American adults moved due to COVID-19 or know someone who did, study says

Experts say the moves are impacting economics, emotions
Posted at 11:01 AM, Jul 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-13 21:47:42-04

James Harvey has owned a moving company for the past 10 years.

He says every summer it’s the same: he sees a spike in business with more people moving. This summer, however, is different, he says, because of COVID-19.

“It’s an emotional time,” said Harvey, owner of Around the Clock Movers and Havana Truck Rentals. “It’s hard not to feel bad for a lot of people.”

Paperwork is piling up as Harvey tries to meet the demand for his customers that often tell him their reasons for relocating.

“Before, people were moving for fun or moving to experience new things,” he said. “Now it’s for economics.”

What Harvey is experiencing is happening across the country.

A new study by the Pew Research Center shows one in every five American adults moved due to COVID-19 or know someone who did.

“Everything going on is highly emotional right now,” said real estate expert Lauren Feldesman with Zumper.

There’s a lot of good people that don’t deserve to be going through these situations.

While Harvey has mixed emotions about helping people move to help reduce their risk of contracting the virus, he also understands the importance of moving out and moving on.