The rise of the super commuters
Most Americans are still commuting to work at least some of the time. And distances between work and home are stretching longer and longer. New research out from Stanford finds 40-plus-mile commutes are on the rise as many workers have more flexibility to choose where they live.
And the share of workers traveling 75 miles or more — known as super commuters — is up one-third since the start of the pandemic.
I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is not where you want to be during commuter hours. Just ask 25-year-old Sarah Nolt-Caraway.
“It’s just so crowded. Traffic backs up. Wild drivers,” she said.
Nolt-Carway lives in Albuquerque, about 100 miles and two hours from her job at Los Alamos National Laboratories. She says her super commute isn’t ideal.
“It’s stressful, it’s tiring,” said Nolt-Caraway.
But it’s only three days a week, thanks to a hybrid work schedule. And it allows her to hold on to more of her paycheck and maintain her standard of living. A move to pricier Santa Fe could mean roommates.
“Living with five other people does not sound pleasant at all anymore,” she said.
Most super commuters are making this kind of a trade-off, says economist Nicholas Bloom, who co-authored the Stanford research.
“Do I live in a small apartment that doesn’t work for us but I have a shorter commute? Or do I just have two days of, you know, driving hell?” said Bloom.
And spend the rest of the week in a home that fits your lifestyle. Bloom says it’s a win for employers.
“You can hire a much more talented and more diverse set of employees,” he said, from a larger recruitment radius.
But long commutes can also make for burnt out workers.
“When they’re at work they’re gonna be tired, it’s gonna be harder for them to focus,” said Matt Piszczek, a professor of management at Wayne State University.
He says a little transition time between work and home comes with some benefits. But no one needs two hours in the car for that.
“It’s really diminishing returns. And most people would probably rather use that time in a different way,” he said.
Like going to the gym or hanging out with their families. Things that help us decompress from work.
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