5 Takeaways from the 2026 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey

Now in its 59th year, the Atlas® Corporate Relocation Survey remains one of the most closely watched benchmarks in global mobility. The 2026 edition, completed by 549 relocation decision-makers across more than 20 industries, captured a profession that is optimistic about volume, cautious about cost, and increasingly attentive to the human factors that determine whether a move actually happens. Here are five findings from the 2026 Atlas survey that deserve some consideration.

• Volume Is Up, But the Story Has Two Sides

  54% of companies reported an increase in relocations in 2025, and 52% expect further growth in 2026. Budgets tracked the same direction, with 57% higher last year and 61% projecting increases this year. But nearly one in five organizations (19%) reported declines, up 6 points over 2024, revealing a real divergence in employer experiences. The industry-wide tailwind is real, but program leaders should be prepared to explain why their specific situation may or may not mirror the average.

On a positive note, whether volume is up or down, 90% of companies view relocation expenses as an investment in talent recruitment and retention.

• The Regulatory Environment Is Now a Front-Burner Issue

  The most significant shift in this year’s external factors data was a 9-point increase in companies citing the political and regulatory environment, the largest year-over-year jump of any variable tracked. The catalyst: effective September 2025, every H-1B petition became subject to a $100,000 fee requirement, enhanced security vetting, and a reprioritization toward higher-skilled workers. Among companies relocating employees internationally, 94% reported budget impact and 82% adjusted their policies in response. Immigration compliance is no longer a back-office function. It belongs in every mobility team’s strategic planning conversation.

• Employees Are Declining More, and Family Is the Reason

  46% of companies reported an increase in relocation declines (something we note in our own Trends survey), and 59% had at least one employee say "no thanks" to relocating in 2025. The top reasons: family ties (34%), housing or mortgage concerns at the destination (28%), and anxiety about selling or leaving the origin home (21%). This year’s survey added “concerns about relocating children to or from school” as an option for the first time. It immediately cracked the top five. Employers are responding with expanded family support: 56% have practices for special-needs family members, 42% for extended family, and 40% for pets. Mental health benefits during relocation received formal survey attention for the first time, signaling a meaningful shift in how companies frame the employee experience.

• Flexibility Is the New Policy Standard

  Formal relocation policy prevalence declined year-over-year across nearly every category. More than half of companies (51%) said they almost always or frequently make exceptions, and 52% acknowledged losing good employees due in part to inflexible policies. That number actually shocked us.

  What employees value most, per companies themselves: total financial value (58%), family support services (49%), and flexibility in how relocation funds are spent (47%). Lump-sum programs remain preferred by employees (78% of companies agree), though the most common range, $10,000 to $12,499, has been unchanged for three consecutive years, raising affordability questions for younger, financially stretched movers.

  Worth noting: that lump-sum preference holds primarily when the comparison is to traditional, non-flexible policies. When employees are offered newer tech-enabled points or credit-based options, they tend to favor those instead. The ability to mix funds against individual needs is a key driver.

• AI Adoption Is Broad, Human Oversight Is Still Expected

  63% of companies reported increased AI use in 2025, with budget tracking (40%), resume analysis (37%), and employee monitoring (35%) as the top applications. Interest in AI agents is high: 63% said they are likely to adopt them for relocation-related work within the next 12 to 24 months. Yet 71% of companies did not reduce their HR or relocation workforce as a result of AI, and 76% invested in employee AI training instead. As PwC observed in research cited by the survey, AI delivers its greatest value not through full autonomy but through a human-led model that pairs efficiency with judgment. That framing resonates well in mobility.

Only 15% of respondents strongly agreed AI could replace jobs in their organization within five years—down 6 points from 2024.

The 2026 Atlas survey describes an industry that is resilient, adaptive, and increasingly focused on the human dimensions of mobility. Volume and budgets are trending positive. But the factors that determine whether any individual move succeeds, including family dynamics, housing affordability, policy flexibility, and employee well-being, demand as much or more attention than ever.