October 26, 2011
You are happy to get hired, especially when you are from out of state. Moving to Arizona could be a very exciting opportunity if you are coming from a winter climate. For job seekers who are unemployed or who are on tight budgets, it’s an additional expense to plan for if a Relocation Package was not part of the new hire plan.Before the economic downturn, it was more common for companies to hire movers to pack up an out-of-state hire’s belongings and unload them in his or her new home. Some might even pay for several house-hunting trips or take care of selling the new hire’s old. While some of those moving perks may still be available for top talent and senior executives at large companies, they have become rare for other workers.
Gone are the days when companies agreed to foot the bill for most new hires’ moving expenses, employment experts agree. Many companies have pared back recruiting budgets. Those changes range from less money available for new workers’ moving costs to elimination of relocation benefits for lower-level employees.If a job candidate is offered help with moving expenses, these days, it is most often a lump-sum check. Job candidates are expected to make most or all of the moving arrangements on their own, said Kathy Colace, managing partner of the Phoenix office of JBN & Associates LLC, an employment-services firm.
“What we are seeing now is about $5,000 or $10,000 given for relocations,” Colace said.
United Van Lines has seen its total number of U.S. household shipments decline sharply during the U.S. economic slump. In Arizona, the number of household moves the company has made has dropped by more that 50% from 18,027 in 2005 to 8,845 in 2010, according to United’s figures.
But companies that choose to cut back on movingexpenses must walk a fine line, experts say. The job market is starting to pick up, and some firms, have begun to see counteroffers and bonuses offered to degreed professionals and candidates with special skills.Even if a new hire doesn’t get relocation expenses, they may be able to negotiate other perks.
In August, Globe resident Tim Brewer moved from Hereford, Texas, to Arizona take a job as an IT manager. His new company agreed to let him have time off so that he could visit his wife, Tara. Tara Brewer, a high-school band teacher, can’t move to Arizona until December.Tim Brewer, 30, says that he’s still negotiating moving expenses. But the trips back to Texas are crucial for him.”My bosses here have been very, very helpful to make sure that I have (schedule) changes to allow me to see my wife,” he said.
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