A few unemployed readers have e-mailed me asking where their families should move to ride out the recession.  Finally, I found a couple approaches to consider if you’re going to relocate during these challenging times.

First, for Canadians, the Conference Board’s director of city forecasting, Mario LeFebvre, says that Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Regina will outperform other Canadian cities over 2009 and 2010 in terms of economic growth.  As he summarizes:

These three economies have diversified significantly over the past 20 years and while agriculture still matters, it plays much less of a role in the overall economic picture.  …

The economic success of these cities has turned them into a magnet for people over the past two years. This is such a huge change. Historically, no matter how well the economies of Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon were doing, these cities were losing people to other provinces. Yet over the past few years, these cities have been attracting people from other provinces. This is a change in trend which bodes well for the future economic prosperity of these cities, as stronger population growth is guaranteed to lift demand for new homes and the number of shoppers inside these cities’ shopping malls.

For Americans, consider the Business Journal’s list of the best metros for small businesses and entrepreneurs (via creativeclass.com).  These are Raleigh, Charlotte, Seattle and Austin according to the study.  Even if you personally make a lousy entrepreneur, you might have useful skills to work for one.  Plus, cities with a wide variety of smaller industries and businesses can often avoid the dramatic downturn that happens when one dominant employer or industry is forced to downsize.

Any other suggestions out there?