When considering a new position, one important factor that candidates will always look at is the location of the opportunity and how long it will take to get there each day. With only 24 hours in a day, once you subtract working hours, sleeping hours, as well as our many other responsibilities, it is obvious why a shorter commute is preferred.
More free time is not the only benefit to a short commute. Studies have linked long commutes to a variety of health risks - both physical and mental - including an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, as well as an increased risk of depression, stress and anxiety (Passport Health).
With all of this in mind, it may come as a surprise to learn that the average time Americans are spending commuting each day is on the rise. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual American Community Survey, the average one way commute time in 2017 was 26.9 minutes - that's almost an hour a day spent travelling to and from work. Comparatively, in 1980, the average one way commute time was under 22 minutes. That may not seem like a large difference but when you consider you make that drive twice a day, usually 5 times a week, and there are 52 weeks in a year, that is an increase of about 36 hours in a year.
Some of the major factors that have caused the increase in time spent commuting to and from work is the availability and affordability of housing in major metropolitan areas, as well as an increase in population and the number of working people. In addition to this, the number of people car pooling and using public transit has decreased. The number of single drivers is rising which leads to heavier traffic and slower commutes (Chicago Tribune).
As further evidence, the average commute times across regions of the United States shows the difference denser populations can make. The States with the higher populations also see higher commute times. For example the States with the highest one way commute times are New York (32.6 minutes), Maryland (32.4 minutes) and New Jersey (31.2 minutes) and the States with the lowest one way commute times are South Dakota (16.9 minutes), North Dakota (17.3 minutes) and Montana (17.9 minutes) (CNBC).
Along with an increasing amount of time being spent commuting, two trends worth noting is the increase in telecommuters and super-commuters. Telecommuters are those who primarily work from home. From 2016 to 2017 alone, there was a 5% increase in telecommuters, outnumbering those that use public transportation (Smart Cities). "Super-commuter" refers to those that commute very long distances, who live and work in separate areas and only commute to work a few times a week and otherwise work remotely. These trends can be viewed as a response to the high costs and high commutes of working in metropolitan areas.
It will be interesting to know if average commute rates will continue to rise or if we will begin to see more of a counterbalance with increased flexibility at the workplace and an increase of telecommuters and super-commuters.
