Idaho gets even more private

If household goods were packed in an Atlas Van Lines trailer last year, they were more likely to be headed into Washington than out, but more vans in Idaho were outbound, according to the company’s 2009 migration study.

Washington in-migration measured by Atlas was meager: Just 11 more households moved in than moved out; 2,245 versus 2,234.

Idaho sent 432 packing while welcoming 346. The difference, 86, landed Idaho among the 13 states Atlas considers “outbound” because more than 55 percent of moves were out of the state. Idaho was the only state west of the Dakotas classified outbound, although other Western states had marginally more departures than arrivals.

Atlas attributed a decrease in moves for the nation as a whole to the stagnant economy, with the hard-hit Rust Belt states from Missouri to Ohio among those considered outbound. Inbound states included those with significant energy resources, like Alaska and Texas, and those clustered around Washington, D.C.

The number of unemployed in Idaho peaked at 68,000 in November. Washington reported 321,000 unemployed in November, down from a record 344,000 in March.

Although Atlas numbers showed a gain of only 11 year-over-year, Washington Department of Licensing statistics showed a more positive influx as of November, the most recent month for which numbers are available.

The state issued 128,370 licenses for the 12-month period that ended Nov. 30, compared with 54,219 surrendered, a number the department says may be incomplete.

Just over 6,700 licenses were issued in Spokane County during the first 11 months of 2009. Statistics on surrendered licenses were unavailable.