How Increasing Commute Times Are Affecting the Workforce

According to information compiled in the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, commute times have increased 23 per cent to an average of four-and-a-half hours per week – and the strain on commuters is beginning to show in the workforce.

Sydney’s commute times are the worst of the major cities – commuters spend over 70 minutes per day travelling to work. Brisbane and Melbourne aren’t far behind, with commuters travelling for 66 and 65 minutes respectively.

Workers in the Northern Territory enjoy the shortest commute times, averaging less than 35 minutes per day.

A number of factors are contributing to the increase in commute times, including rising house prices and infrastructure that’s struggling to keep up with rapid population growth – in the last 10 years, Melbourne and Sydney’s populations each increased by nearly one million people. By 2035, both cities are projecting populations of around six million.

Doctor John Stone, senior lecturer in transport and urban planning at the University of Melbourne, says Australia’s public sector is falling behind other Western countries, and hasn’t yet developed infrastructure to offer effective transport options.

“We haven’t built up the expertise to be able to give people an alternative. In many European cities and parts of Canada, public transport holds a much more central place,” he says. “[In Australia], the public sector needs time to develop the expertise on how to make frequency, speed and connection actually work.”

Longer commute times have negative effects on the workforce. According to the HILDA survey, long-distance commuters (two hours or more a day) are less satisfied with their working hours, work-life balance and salary when compared to those who travel a short distance (less than one hour).

Long-distance commuters also reported lower levels of job satisfaction and were more likely to quit or lose their jobs within a year.

“Commuting is a stressful and unrewarding thing to add into people’s days,” says Dr Stone. “When they have these lengthy commutes and they’re trying to find time for their families and their social life, it becomes a real cost.”

Beyond dissatisfaction with work-life balance, lengthy commutes impact our health. When we commute, we’re exposed to traffic noise, pollution, crowds and uncomfortable conditions – all stressors that can have a direct impact on physical and mental health.

Because the negative effects of a long commute are well-known, local and state governments are always under pressure to offer solutions to commuters. But Dr Stone says the methods used to gauge the success of public transport projects are flawed.

“We’ve got some very flawed mechanisms for making these big decisions,” he says. “The measures we have to demonstrate improvements are focused on tiny increments in time, when realistically, a couple of extra minutes off people’s commutes is neither here nor there – there’s no sign that we’re close to getting a handle on that problem.”

Commuters are often encouraged to walk or cycle to work. Exercising offers a number of physical and mental-health benefits, and less people on public transport and in cars helps ease congestion.

This 2019 study found that among middle-aged workers, those who walked or cycled to work performed better in the workplace and were more likely to be happy and more productive than their counterparts who drove.

“There’s a whole lot of evidence that says exercise in your commute is a really good way to stay healthy and help your mental health,” says Dr Stone.

However, increasing house prices, population growth and suburban sprawl mean many people don’t live close enough to their workplaces to walk or cycle.

“Unfortunately, the only places [many] people can afford [to live] are in locations which commit them to long commutes – not just to work, but to everything else that makes city life attractive,” he continues.

Dr Stone says logistical improvements to current public transport networks would provide short-term relief for commuters.

“Build the cross-town public transport network so you can travel to many different places, rather than just the ones along that train line. That’s an action that should be possible in a shorter period of time.

“There are always going to be some people who will do these super commutes [of two or more hours per day], but others are going to have to make decisions about the sorts of jobs that they will accept. People might make sub-optimal decisions just to avoid the negative consequences of a long commute.”

Dr Stone says that despite the issues facing the public transport sector, communities shouldn’t lose hope – and should instead turn their attention to lobbying for change.

“It’s clear that we can have decent housing with backyards and still have options to leave our cars at home if we think more clearly about public transport service quality,” he says. “Unless communities are demanding change, they won’t get any.”