WORCESTER, Mass. - A recent study conducted by the moving company United Van Lines shows more people are moving out of Massachusetts than moving in.

The annual National Movers Study attempts to figure out why people come and go from different regions of the country, and some economic experts believe that although it doesn’t paint a full picture, the study does highlight some areas of concern.

Massachusetts ranks seventh in the top ten "most moved from" states, according to United Van Lines’ surveys and migration trends. On average, for every 100 movers in Massachusetts, 56 people are leaving, while only 44 are coming in.

By comparison, other New England states like Rhode Island and Vermont are doing well – both ranked in the top ten. Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at Holy Cross, believes the pandemic is one of the key factors at play.

“The fact that people don’t need to go into the office as much means that people who like New England but don’t like the housing crisis in downtown Boston can work remotely from our outlying areas, and that’s probably good news for Worcester as well in comparison to downtown Boston,” Matheson said.

More than one-third of those leaving Massachusetts said they moved away to be closer to family, and other top answers included new jobs, retirement or the pursuit of a better lifestyle.

David Sullivan, director of economic development and business recruitment for the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, said there’s still hope for Massachusetts despite the gloomy outlook in this particular study, which doesn’t account for international gains.

“I think the unsung hero of Massachusetts in the past few years in terms of our workforce and economic development is the international community, is the immigrants who are coming to the U.S. to start a new life,” Sullivan said. “They’re choosing Worcester as the place to start their life in the United States, and that has been a significant reason why Worcester is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the Northeast.”

And while people we spoke with are taking United Van Lines’ study with a grain of salt, the fact that so many people are leaving Massachusetts for other job opportunities is a cause for concern.

Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at the UMass Donahue Institute, leads a 15-person team that analyzes migration data and shares it across the state in a presentation called the "Economic Roadshow." He said part of the story he’s been telling people about the current state of the Massachusetts economy has to do with a post-COVID world and what that means for the future.

“We have a lot of positive things that we can say right now in terms of job recovery, we’re back to the number of jobs we had pre-pandemic, our unemployment rate is really low, but the indicator that gives me the most pause right now is the size of our labor force,” Melnik said. “Massachusetts’ labor force is smaller today than it was pre-pandemic.”

Melnik worries that as the baby boomer generation retires, there isn’t enough new labor to replace them, and the pandemic sped up the process. His data shows most of the state’s out-migration is happening among recent college graduates and younger families.

As he explained, it isn’t easy living with a low to moderate income in a high cost state.

“Especially when you’re thinking about people who may be early in their careers with a $60,000 or $70,000 a year job, which by national standards is a pretty decent paying job,” Melnik said. “In Massachusetts, it might not be enough to make ends meet, or not enough to make ends meet and save enough money to buy a home.”

Melnik said housing should be the state’s top priority, and enough progress on that front could eventually lead to better results in future studies by United Van Lines.