Almost Everyone Hates Their Commute

Monster’s Commute Report finds nearly half (49%) of US workers have turned down a job at least partly because of the commute. The poll of 1,000 workers was conducted in July 2026 with a broad range of age groups, including workers over 65, indicating that the issues are not generation-based. Workers also put a steep price on additional travel time: nearly one-third (32%) would require at least 20% more pay to accept a job with a commute just 20 minutes longer than they prefer.

I believe that the Work From Home phase during and after the pandemic exacerbated workers’ impatience with driving to work. When you’re at home, the time you would have spent in the car was spent on actual work (which is likely why employers saw productivity increases when teams worked remotely.)

Sure, there were some disadvantages at home (noise, space, clutter, and partners or roommates trying to be productive in the room next door.) But at least those were people you liked. Driving in heavy traffic with other miserable strangers making questionable decisions is a terrible way to start the day.

In fact, in the Monster Commute Report, three in 10 workers reported that a longer commute is nonnegotiable; they say none of the pay or benefits incentives presented would persuade them to accept a significantly longer commute. And flexibility is becoming more important. 75% say rising living costs have made work-life balance or commute flexibility more important in their job search. And the rising cost of fuel is eating into any increase in salary that may come with a longer commute.

The cost and inconvenience of commuting is changing how job seekers look for opportunities. Among workers currently searching for a job, 65% say rising gas prices have changed what they look for. A quarter of respondents (23%) are prioritizing jobs closer to home; 20% are prioritizing remote-only positions, and 17% are focusing more heavily on salary or pay.

Author Seth Godin, who is always generous with his good ideas, suggests that companies might find ways to make the commute more productive for employees. He writes in his blog, “All organizations have a communications problem, and it gets worse as they grow. Which issues are we facing today? Who else is on the team? What’s changed in the environment, and what do we need to get in sync on?”

He suggests starting an internal podcast, 15 – 20 minutes of news that workers might not have time to digest at the office. The topics could include logistical issues, like the rollout of new software or systems, new customers, opportunities for training or advancement, along with big-picture strategy. Godin says, “When everyone on the team listens to the same podcast each morning, cohesion and focus improve.”

I would suggest that the company invest in a high-energy host with great writing and broadcast skills; a boring podcast might be worse than tuning in to traffic news.

Godin also suggests that a commute might be a great time to develop new skills or dive deeper into issues that matter to your work. The company could offer a library of thought leadership audio books that employees can access at no cost, encouraging their workforce to invest in themselves before they get to the office.

Even a small company can probably find ways to invest in these ideas, especially since outside talent is available to help develop them. The drive to work might never be considered a good time, but it could become a productive time.