Recent research has concluded that an additional 20 minutes commuting per day is equivalent to a 19% pay cut when it comes to measuring job satisfaction.
Researchers in England examined the impacts of commuting to work on the wellbeing of more than 26,000 employees over a five-year period. They found that every extra minute of commuting time reduces both job and leisure time satisfaction, increases strain and worsens mental health.
Bus commuters feel the negative impacts of longer commute time more strongly than users of other modes of transport.
Longer duration commutes by rail are associated with less strain than shorter commutes by rail, the research showed.
Women’s job satisfaction is reduced more by longer commute times than that of men’s.
Researchers used data from Understanding Society – a study that surveys 40,000 households per year – to examine how changes in subjective wellbeing were related to changing commuting circumstances. The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, showed working from home, walking to work and shorter commutes increase job satisfaction. Shorter commutes make it more likely that an employee will remain in their job. The study found those who walk or cycle to work do not report reductions in leisure time satisfaction as the same way as other commuter, even with the same duration of commute.
Job satisfaction was found to decrease with the amount of time spent travelling to work, with an additional 20 minutes of commuting being associated with the associated effect on job satisfaction as a 19% reduction in personal income.
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