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Rising living expenses have priced workers out of living near where they work in many parts of the United States.
Generation Z workers, those born in the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, are one of the most age groups most affected by this trend. More than 40 percent of all Generation Z workers cannot afford to live near their jobs, according to Randstad US and Apartment Guide survey.
The survey explored how rising living expenses influence where and how people live and work in the US. And the survey looked at the impact those trends are having on their quality of life. Younger workers were most impacted.

Think you have a long commute? Try living in Beijing, China. The average one-way commute is 52 minutes!
It’s not much better in some lesser populated cities. In Shanghai, the average one-way commute is 51 minutes. In Guangzhou, it’s 46 minutes. The average one-way commute for everyone living in a China city is 28 minutes.
To put these numbers in perspective, New Yorkers have extremely long commutes and commute about 48 minutes each day.

Update May 26, 2023:
We would like to inform you of a recent decision made by Lyft and Uber, which is beyond our control. In April 2023, Lyft announced the discontinuation of their shared rides program called Lyft Shared. Additionally, Uber’s shared rides program, UberX Shared, currently does not support tax-free commuter benefits.

It’s no secret ride-hailing is popular to get around now. More than a third of Americans have used ride-hailing services like Uber. And more than 20 percent say they use a ridesharing  service every month. Since it’s growing at a fast rate, people often ask,  “Does Uber qualify for commuter benefits?

Heavy commuting can lead to more social isolation, less exercise and unhealthy eating habits. It’s a lifestyle that can have a severe impact on a commuter, and therefore, less productivity at work.
If your employees have long commutes, there’s a good chance some of them will quit. No one likes commuting, and as much as people like work, it’s becoming a significant problem in this country for people to get there without stress.
LinkedIn reports that 85 percent of people would take a pay cut to shorten their commutes.
Staffing firm Robert Half found almost 25 percent of workers quit a job because they don’t like the commute. The rates were highest in New York City, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago, all cities with some of the highest commuting time in the country. The survey also found that 60 percent don’t feel their employers are doing something to help them with commutes.
Those feelings also create a divide between having happy and productive employees and those who are just miserable about how long it takes them to get to work every day.
>> Is Commuting the Next Health Care? Read more <<
For example, a Harvard social scientist found that for every 10 minutes someone commutes, it leads to 10 percent less social interactions during the day. That type of commuter will realistically be less likely to be an engaged employee in your workplace.
So what can your company do to help your workers bad commute? Here are 3 ideas on what some companies are doing to improve the commute for their employees.

Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions was recently named a finalist for the 2019 Content Marketing Award for Corporate Blog by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI).

Whether it’s financial, like offering commuter benefits, or other means, companies are making it easier for employees to commute with the help of government and nonprofits.

In Austin, Texas, the Central Texas Transportation Management Association works with businesses to help get employees to work. The association is called Movability, and it is “dedicated to working hand in hand with employers to improve the region’s economic vitality by connecting commuters with mobility options that save time and money.”

If you work in New Jersey, your commute may be getting less expensive in the next year or so.

That long commute to work? Well, it turns out it just keeps getting longer (and longer).

The Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey is out, and it gives us a snapshot of interesting domestic statistics regarding life in the “average” American household, including commuting.

Here’s a look at some of the numbers so you can compare your commuting life to the average American’s.