The moving business in New York City is booming, with companies reporting triple-digit increases in customers from a year ago as COVID-19 continues to reshape the way Americans live.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought unprecedented changes to major cities because of lockdowns and strict social distancing guidelines in the workplace, the Big Apple is experiencing a wave of change.
The New York Times reported that one moving company has experienced a near 50% increase in business this year. FlatRate Moving has moved people to Dutchess County, New York, roughly two hours north of the city, at an increase of more than 230% from 2019. It's also seen a 116% increase in moves to Ulster County, which lies just west of Dutchess.
Another company, Empire Movers, has "double the volume of customers — maybe more — than last year," mover Vladislav Grigor told the Times.
NYC Great Movers indicated that as many as 70% of its jobs are going to either storage units or out-of-state addresses.
New York City was the epicenter of the U.S. pandemic earlier this year. Offices closed and people fled to all corners of the country to work remotely and let the COVID-19 storm pass.
The city has started to reopen some businesses and office buildings, but most people are staying home to work. Those in blue-collar jobs like the moving industry are cashing in.
"This is dangerous, of course, because of COVID, but we just keep working because we need the money," Russian immigrant Kiril Gor, who made $1,500 a week over the summer working for a moving company, told the Times. "I don't want to get some money from the government. I want to make it myself."
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