How long does it take most people to get to work?

What is the average commute to work like in the USA? – The national average commute time in the U.S. is 26.6 minutes, according to the Census Bureau. That means as a whole, the daily average American commute time is just under an hour, 53.2 minutes, assuming one round trip. Average Commute to Work by State and City infographic Would you like to embed this infographic on your site?

How long does it take you to get used to work?

How long does it take to feel confident in a new job? – Feeling more confident by getting up to speed in a new job can take from 3 weeks to a few months. It all comes down to your professional skills and how well you are able to handle your main responsibilities. Most professionals become more confident after a few weeks after they start a new job.

Is a 45 minute commute too long?

If you live in Dunboyne and commute to work in Dublin city centre, or if you live in Tallaght and get the Luas to work, congratulations. If home is in Mitchelstown, and the office is in Cork city, you can also count yourself one of the lucky ones. Despite how you might feel about rush hour traffic or packed tram carriages, you enjoy what an international study has determined as the commuter “inflection point” of roughly 45 minutes. An analysis of the habits of 4,248 Chinese workers over seven years found that individuals whose daily commutes by public transport were longer than 45 minutes were more likely to eventually move to a different home to reduce their travel times. People who started the study with a commute of less than 45 minutes were more likely to extend their travel time, so that they could move to a better area, buy a home of their own, or take a more desirable job.

1. We find that 45 minutes is an inflection point where the behavioural preference changes.
2. Commuters whose travel time exceeds the point prefer to shorten commutes via moves, while others with shorter commutes tend to increase travel time for better jobs and/or residences,” the researchers note.
3. But don’t be too quick to extend your commute time: according to research published by the University of West England last year, adding 10 minutes each way to your daily commute is as bad for your overall job satisfaction as getting a 19 per cent pay cut.

Other studies, including one by Ford Motor company of 5,500 commuters in six European cities, found that workers rank their commute as more stressful than going to the dentist or, you know, actually working. Figures published last year by Ireland’s CSO showed that by international standards, average commuting times in Ireland are, on the whole, pretty bearable.

Commuters in Meath and Wicklow spent the largest chunk of their day getting to and from work in 2016, at 34 minutes. At the other end of the scale, commuters in Galway city had the shortest average commute of just 21 minutes, while two in three commuters in Waterford city spent less than half an hour getting to work.

Contrast that with the average global commute time of 41.6 minutes, and it doesn’t look so bad – or with the average daily commute time in England, which is now around 60 minutes, up from 48 minutes in the past two decades. One in seven English commuters now spends at least two hours on their daily round-trip commute, the University of West England research found.

1. The key to surviving your commute, however long or punishing it might seem, may be to reframe your experience of it.
2. A paper published in the Harvard Business Review found that small rituals to take back control of the time help with this – for example, learning a new language or listening to podcasts.

If you’re on public transport, the experts suggests updating your calendar or reading the news online – or even breaking the international code of commuters everywhere, and striking up a conversation with your fellow passengers.

How long of a commute is too long?

Health – Whether you drive or take public transportation to work, a long commute can make you feel stressed and unhappy. It can also reduce your time with family and friends. It can even lead to poor mental health, according to some research. Many people’s lengthy commute is part of their normal daily routine.

It may be a necessary step to get to your job or something you enjoy, like driving to a nearby coffee shop and reading a book on the way. If you have a long commute, it’s a good idea to figure out how to improve your experience, so you don’t start feeling frustrated or sad. For example, you could find a playlist that makes you happy, bring some snacks to enjoy on the ride, and call family and friends during your time off to spend quality time with them.

You can also use this time to exercise and try to keep fit. However, this is only possible if you’re committed to making the change and are willing to put in the time and effort required to achieve your goals. As a general rule of thumb, experts suggest a 30-minute commute is reasonable for your next job.

What’s the longest commute to work?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Extreme commuting is commuting that takes more than daily walking time of an average human. United States Census Bureau defines this as a daily journey to work that takes more than 90 minutes each way. According to the bureau, about 3% of American adult workers are so-called “extreme” commuters.

How long do most people work in their life?

How much of your life is spent at work? – Writer Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” For many of us, a large portion of our days is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. It’s safe to say your job can make a huge impact on your quality of life. That’s why Andrew Naber ’07 has dedicated his career to researching different factors that can make a positive impact on people’s work lives. “It’s what excites me most,” said Naber. “We spend a lot of time at work and it really affects people’s general happiness, and also life outcomes.” Naber is an industrial and organizational (I-O) psychologist and an associate behavioral scientist at RAND Corp, where he works on research related to workforce development policy, employee selection, and individual and team training performance.

Is it normal to be slow at a new job?

Key takeaway: Be patient and keep your expectations reasonable – If you’re planning a career transition soon, I think it’s a good idea to count on your transition taking anywhere from three months to a year to get truly comfortable in your role. If it’s faster than that, great.

Is it normal to feel lost at a new job?

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when starting a new job. There are new policies, processes, tasks, and technology to learn about, so it’s important that you give yourself time to adapt to your new environment. You may just need a few extra weeks to settle into the job before you start finding it easier.

Is it normal to struggle at a new job?

It’s normal to be nervous when starting a new job, but there are challenges you can anticipate.Common challenges during the first week of a new job include information overload, little work and fitting into the company culture.To make the most of your first week, confirm your working hours and introduce yourself to your team. Arrive early every day, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. This article is for anyone starting a new job.

Starting a new job is almost always a bit nerve-wracking. You might be wondering, “What if the work isn’t what I expected? What if my co-workers and I don’t get along?” These are understandable questions to ask, but you can easily overcome these new-job challenges. Keep reading for a guide to common first-week challenges and how you can make the most of your introduction to a new workplace.

How bad is a 90 minute commute?

3 Costs of Your Commute to Work It’s not easy getting to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it took 148 million workers in 2019 an, an all-time high that summarizes travel trends between 2006 and 2019. That adds up to almost one hour each day, just under five hours a week and roughly 250 hours per year (if you work 50 weeks) of,

1. Let’s break down three costs of the average commute to work.
2. Find out now: And in some parts of the country, it takes even longer.
3. In parts of Chicago, for instance, the average commute time to work is more than 33 minutes.
4. In parts of New York state, it averages more than 37 minutes.
5. In fact there are plenty of people out there who are burdened with what are known as mega-commutes.

According to U.S. Census data, 9.8% (14.5 million) U.S. workers traveled one hour or more each way to work as of 2019. And 3.1% (almost 4.6 million) endured a mega-commute of at least 90 minutes each way to work. That’s a lot of time spent in cars, on trains or hanging onto a strap on a city bus.

• But did you know that a long car commute is costing you more than time.
• Have you ever added up how much money it is costing you? It takes a lot of dollars to pay for gasoline, parking and oil changes.
• Commuting swallows about 6 percent of the incomes of the working poor.
• Members of the working poor who drive alone, instead of relying on carpools, see 8% to 9% of their incomes erased by commuting, according to the Brookings Institution.

So how much is commuting to work costing you? It’s difficult to come up with an exact figure. said that the national average cost of a gallon of gas in mid-March was $2.88. Say your car gets 23 miles per gallon. If you drive 30 miles to your job and 30 miles back every day, that’s 60 miles a day.

If you do this five days a week, that’s 300 miles a week. For a week, then, you’d spend roughly $37.50 for gasoline. Multiply that by 50 (accounting for two weeks vacation) and you get $1,875 in gas alone. Of course, gas isn’t the only cost you’ll face as you drive to work. You’ll also have to figure in the wear and tear on your vehicle and maintenance such as regular oil changes.

And what about parking? If you have to pay for that, your yearly commuting costs will be much higher. And this is just the monetary cost. A studied more than 170,000 workers from 2009 through 2010 about their health, measuring their relative health on a scale of one to 100.

The survey found that adults who commute more than 90 minutes one way to work had an average health index score of just 63.9. Those who commuted 10 minutes or less to work had an average score of 69.2. A long commute is even worse for you if you don’t particularly like your job. found that 15.5 percent of U.S.

workers who were “actively disengaged” at work reported high levels of stress and worry in their lives and low levels of happiness and enjoyment. That figure rose to 27.1 percent, though, for “actively disengaged” workers who had longer commutes of 45 minutes or more.

Another that “despite changes in how Americans get to work, their commute times haven’t gotten any shorter, and long commutes could impact their well-being.” The poll said that Americans with longer commutes are more likely to have neck and back pain, high cholesterol and obesity, and feel less-rested and more anxious.

No one’s saying that a long commute is never worth it. If you find an ideal job that takes a while to reach each morning, you might still be very happy. And if the job pays enough, you can easily make up the increased cost of your commute. But what if your job isn’t particularly satisfying and it takes you more than 45 minutes to get to it each morning? The increased cost of commuting might mean it’s time to search for a new position.

If you’re thinking about relocating for a shorter commute, a can help you create a financial plan to reach your goals. You can find a financial advisor today using SmartAsset’s, Simply fill out our short questionnaire and you’ll be matched with up to three in your area.If you want to know how much house you can afford, can help you break down mortgage payments, property tax, insurance, and other costs based on your income, location, and other relevant financial information.In-depth budgeting can help improve your long-term finances. can help you create a budget to reach your financial goals.

Dan Rafter has been writing about personal finance for more than 15 years. He is an expert in mortgages, refinances and credit issues. Dan’s written for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Phoenix Magazine, Consumers Digest, Business 2.0 Magazine, BusinessWeek online and dozens of trade magazines. : 3 Costs of Your Commute to Work

How long is an unbearable commute?

The average U.S. commute to work of 26.1 minutes each way looks like a quick trip around the block compared to the travel times posted by extreme commuters. The U.S. Census Bureau defines extreme commuters as workers who travel 90 minutes or more each way to work,

And the number of extreme commuters has gone up during the 21st century: roughly 4 million workers fit this classification in 2016, compared to only 3.1 million in 2005. That’s 1 in 36 workers with extreme commutes today. Such an arrangement clearly isn’t for everyone. But for 2.8% of all commuters, extreme commuting is simply business as usual.

Here’s a closer look at extreme commuting.

How much commute time is acceptable?

It is generally acceptable to commute to work by car from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, especially in big cities. What is a good distance to commute to work?

Is commuting bad for your health?

Your morning drive might not be healthful, but you can take steps to counteract its effects. – Even if you wake up feeling refreshed and optimistic, you may not feel the same way once you reach your office. Research has linked long commutes to a host of negative health impacts, from increased stress and poorer cardiovascular health to greater pollution exposure.

Why is commuting stressful?

Commuting has been found to be one of life’s least enjoyable activities and has been labeled “the stress that doesn’t pay.” Longer commutes are systematically associated with lower rates of well-being. The average American spends 25.4 minutes commuting.

1. New York has the longest average commute time (36 minutes), followed by Los Angeles, Boston, and Atlanta.
2. Workers in metropolitan areas have the highest rates of “mega-commuting,” commutes of more than 90 minutes.
3. San Francisco, New York, and Washington D.C.
4. Have the highest percentage of mega-commuters.

The Costs of Commuting Commuting times have steadily increased in the U.S., and the rising problem of congestion has only exacerbated the issue of wasting time, money, and fuel. In 2011, congestion caused Americans to travel an extra 5.5 billion hours and purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel, leading to a $121 billion price tag to congestion (not to mention 56 billion pounds of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere due to urban congestion).

The annual delay for the average commuter has been steadily rising since the 1980s, more than doubling to 38 hours of delays in 2011 for the average commuter and wasting an extra week’s worth of fuel for the average U.S. driver. In urban areas with more than 3 million people, commuters had an average of 52 hours of delay a year.

Commuting also has significant psychological and social costs. It can be a major cause of stress, due to its unpredictability and a sense of loss of control. Commuters can experience boredom, social isolation, anger, and frustration from problems like traffic or delays.

1. One 2004 study found that in a sample of nearly a thousand employed women, commuting was the least satisfying activity of all types of daily activities, falling below housework and working, and generated feelings of impatience and fatigue.
2. The ride to work is also associated with increased blood pressure, musculoskeletal problems, lower frustration tolerance, and higher levels of anxiety and hostility.

It can cause bad moods when arriving at work and coming home, increased lateness and missed work, and impaired cognitive performance. Commuting can also take time away from relationships. Over three-fourths of Americans drive alone to work. One study found that automobile commuting led to decreased available time with spouses, family, and friends.

1. For men, a one-hour increase in commute time led to a 21.8-minute decrease in time spent with the spouse, an 18.6-minute decrease in time with children, and a 7.2-minute decrease in time with friends.
2. For women, a one-hour increase in their commute led to an 11.9-minute decrease in time spent with friends.

Public commuters have been found to be less vulnerable to these social costs of commuting compared to drivers. An additional hour of commuting has also been linked to a 6 percent decrease in health-related activities, cutting into time for sleep, exercise, food preparation, and shared meals.

Gender Differences in Commuting Studies since the 1980s have found that women have shorter commuting times than men, Theories for this included differences in employment opportunities between men and women, the accessibility of public transit, and gender roles at home. Women were found to have more limited access to cars for commuting compared to men, and thus had to rely on public transit.

Researchers have also suggested women face balancing the demands of paid employment against household responsibilities (i.e., those who bear more responsibility in housework and child-rearing are less able able to spend time commuting). In a 1993 study of New York and Toronto, women had shorter commuting times only in suburban areas.

In urban regions, the mode of transportation had the biggest influence on commuting time, regardless of gender, income, or occupation. More recent studies have found that while men commute longer distances than women, women make more trips, Women make more short stops on the way to and from work (termed “trip chaining”), and are also more likely to make stops due to the needs of the passenger (e.g., dropping off a child at school or childcare).

As a result, women who commute have less flexible time. A study in Britain in 2011 found that commuting created more psychological stress for women compared to men, even after controlling for variables like income and job satisfaction. The negative stress of commuting was found to be the highest in women with preschool children compared to men with young children, or single men and women without children.

As we work towards gender equality in both the workplace and the home, these gender differences may dissolve. But the financial and psychological costs of commuting for both men and women remain. The Benefits of Active Commuting Commuting doesn’t have to be all bad news. Positive aspects of commuting can include being able to have alone time, reading, thinking, or taking time for oneself to unwind at the end of the day.

A study in 2014 found that psychological well-being, including the ability to concentrate and happiness, was higher for people commuting by active travel, like walking or public transport, compared to driving. Furthermore, switching from car driving to active travel resulted in improved well-being.

1. Longer travel time for walkers actually improved well-being, whereas the opposite was true for drivers.
2. In contrast, driving requires constant concentration and can result in increased boredom, social isolation, and stress.
3. There are also potential physical health benefits to active commuting, depending on your mode of transportation.

Commuting by walking or cycling has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk by 11 percent — a protective effect that more significantly impacted women than men. How can you make commuting work for you? 1. Battle the boredom. Mindless commuting is a recipe for boredom, frustration, or simply lost time that you could otherwise be spending doing something enjoyable.

1. Find an activity that is portable and easily integrated into your commute habits, whether it’s listening to music on the subway, enjoying podcasts or audiobooks in the car, or reading on the train.2.
2. Don’t fight the unpredictability.
3. Your blood pressure might skyrocket when you see the massive amounts of traffic due to unexpected construction, but fighting with the unpredictable nature of commuting wastes a lot of mental energy and focus.

Whether the train line is down, or you get a flat tire, try not to fight with the details of your commute.3. Acknowledge your lack of control in the situation. Part of being a commuter is noticing that most of the time, you are not in control of certain factors of your environment — like when the train arrives, the weather, or the traffic congestion.4.

1. Envision the kind of day you want on your commute to work.
2. Reflect and wind down on your commute home.
3. Your commute likely starts your day, so it’s an opportunity to take a regular period of time to envision the kind of day that you want to experience.
4. Can you set your intention for the day? Is your hope that your day can be filled with productivity, efficiency, endurance, or skill? The commute home is an opportunity to reflect on whether you were able to experience the day with the intention that you set and gives you a chance to wind down.5.

Integrate active commuting, like walking or cycling, as much as possible. Your commute might require a significant amount of driving or sitting, but if there is a way to include more walking or physical activity (even if it’s just taking the stairs instead of the elevator), you can improve your physical condition and mental well-being.

This is part of a series of articles on the Urban Survival blog, examining how to manage the stress of city living. Copyright Marlynn Wei, MD, PLLC 2015 References Christian TJ. Automobile commuting duration and the quantity of time spent with spouse, children, and friends. Preventive Medicine.2012; 55:215–218.

Delmelle EC, Haslauer E & Prinz T. Social satisfaction, commuting and neighborhoods. Journal of Transport Geography,2013; 30:110-116. Hamer M, Chida Y. Active commuting and cardiovascular risk: a meta-analytic review. Preventative Medicine.2008 Jan; 46(1):9-13.

1. Ahneman D, et al.
2. A Survey Method for Characterizing Daily Life Experience: The Day Reconstruction Method.
3. Science,2004; 306:1776-1780.
4. Oslowsky M, et al.
5. Commuting Stress: Causes, Effects, and Methods of Coping.1995.
6. New York: Plenum Press.
7. Martin A., et al.
8. Does active commuting improve psychological wellbeing? Longitudinal evidence from eighteen waves of the British Household Panel Survey.

Preventative Medicine.2014 Dec; 69:296-303. Roberts J, et al. “It’s driving her mad”: Gender differences in the effects of commuting on psychological health. Journal of Health Economics,2011; 30:1064-1076. White, M.J., 1986. Sex differences in urban commuting patterns.

What city has the shortest commute time?

The Average Commute Time by City – Here’s a ranking of the top 100 most populous metro areas by average commute time. See how well your city fared on our list!

Is a shorter commute better?

A shorter commute – The biggest and most obvious advantage of a shorter commute is the time you’ll save. If you’re able to trim off 30 minutes of commuting each way, that’s an hour a day, which saves you 250 hours of time every year (if you work five days per week and have two weeks of vacation).

• By living closer to work, you could also have more transportation options available.
• Long commutes often require a car, but if you’re within a few miles of the office, then walking, biking, or public transportation may be possible.
• If that’s the case, you could cut your monthly bills by going car-free.

Even if you still end up driving to work, a shorter commute will mean using less gas, lower insurance costs, and less wear and tear on your vehicle. Your car won’t be the only thing getting less wear and tear from a short commute. Longer commutes have been linked to several health problems, including higher stress levels, hypertension, and obesity, so shortening your time on the road could have a positive impact on your wellbeing.

What is a reasonable commute?

This question is about average commute time statistics, By Zippia Team – Dec.7, 2022 A reasonable commute is considered to be less than 50 miles from your employer. Of course, as discussed previously, the time it takes to travel 50 miles can vary greatly depending on your location.

Do people live longer if they work?

Do Men Who Work Longer Live Longer? Evidence from the Netherlands The brief’s key findings are:

Working longer is a powerful way to improve retirement security, and some suggest it also improves health.But does working longer improve health or does good health lead to working longer?A temporary tax policy change in the Netherlands that encouraged some older workers to stay in the labor force longer provides a natural experiment.The experiment confirms that working longer causes better health – specifically longer life expectancy.Men ages 62-65 who worked longer due to the policy change saw a two-month increase in life expectancy during their late 60s.This improvement could be more substantial if the impact is longer lasting.

: Do Men Who Work Longer Live Longer? Evidence from the Netherlands

What profession lives the longest?

The positive impact of work on life expectancy – Now we know that many occupations have a negative effect on our health. Jobs that are low income, high stress, involve manual labor, or long hours, all reduce our life expectancy. But that doesn’t mean all work is bad for us. Work can make us happy, give us purpose, and keep us active well into old age.

A long-term study of just over 1500 gifted children, that lasted from the 1920s until their deaths, discovered that those who worked hard and took on more responsibility in their working lives lived longest. The study concluded that the “conscientious, hard-working personality trait” reduced the chances of premature death by 20-30%.

One key reason why working for longer improves longevity could be down to social connections made at work. Married men live longer than men who have never married, divorced, or been widowed. Married women don’t experience the same longevity boost, leading researchers to consider if what really extends lifespans isn’t being married, but having a social circle.

• Studies regularly show that women have more friends than men, and female friendships tend to be closer and more intimate.
• Social isolation after retirement is a serious problem, and has serious health risks.
• Loneliness increases the risk of premature death from all causes at about the same rate as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Without work, single men may find they’ve lost their support system and quickly become isolated, increasing their risk of dying prematurely. A final way work can affect longevity is through happiness. This is a hard metric to quantify, but some researchers have tried.

• When controlling for other factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status, a study on Happiness and Life Expectancy found that people who worked in “intermediate” positions were the happiest for the longest.
• These positions included administrators, subordinates, and assistants.
• The results showed that men in intermediate jobs lived on average three years longer than those in managerial positions, and seven years longer than those in routine positions such as unskilled workers.

Intermediate women lived an average of eight years longer than those in routine jobs, but 3-4 years less than those in managerial positions, even though managerial women reported lower happiness levels. The researchers suggest this discrepancy could be a result of an unequal division of labor affecting women’s work/home life.

How do most people get to work?

Here’s how Americans get to work today: – The Governing article, ” More Americans Now Telecommute Than Take Public Transportation to Work,” highlights how telework—not public transportation—is the new way to get to work. This comes from a recent U.S.

Census Bureau finding that around 8 million U.S. workers primarily work remotely. That places telecommuting second as a way to get to work, coming in right behind driving to the office. According to the story, about 5.2% of workers said that they usually commute, while those taking public transportation dropped to around 5%.

So why is telecommuting now outranking buses and trains? It has much to do with how federal data is collected and reported. When the Census has asked people how they typically get to work, those respondents who work remotely only one or two days a week don’t count as telecommuters.

• But a 2016 Gallup poll found that almost half (43%) of workers work remotely some of the time.
• Surely there is also a spike in the number of people telecommuting.
• Technological advances have made telecommuting much more attainable for companies of all sizes,
• The Census reports that those who work remotely tend to be professionals in industries such as finance, insurance, real estate, agriculture, and the information sector.

What’s driving the increase in remote workers can be attributed in part to employees of private companies. In fact, 4.3% of all private wage and salary workers telecommuted—up from 2.7% just a decade earlier. Self-employed workers also make up a significant portion of those working remotely (24%).

• And the Census reports that older workers are more likely to work from home (7%) in addition to the 10.3% of the workforce aged 65 and over.
• But what specifically is decreasing public transportation usage and (no pun intended) driving up car usage ? The American Public Transportation Association reports a decrease of 3.9% from 2017 for total transit passenger trips.

Chalk it up to lower gas prices, the popularity of ride-hailing services like Uber, and higher transit costs, and driving seems to make sense for more workers. While driving still ranks number one as the way most employees get to work, it seems the second most popular way is to eliminate the commute altogether and work remotely.

How long does the average person actually work?

How Many Hours Are Workers Productive FAQ –

1. How many productive hours are in a workday? There are only 3-6 productive hours in a workday. The average worker only spends 4 hours and 12 minutes actively working during an 8-hour shift, which begins to highlight some of the issues with longer shifts. In fact, the maximum productive hours seem to cap out at 6, meaning that even the most productive workers are wasting 2 hours during a typical workday.
2. How long is the average workday? Average hours worked for a full-time worker in the US is 8.53 hours per weekday and 5.89 hours per weekend. For part-time workers, these numbers reduce to 5.62 hours on weekdays and 4.76 hours on the weekend. Part-time or full-time, one could argue that working 8+ hours per day is detrimental, as workers will waste more time and be less productive than if they worked 4 hours with no distractions.
3. What is a good productivity percentage? A good productivity percentage is somewhere between 70-75%. This means that employees spend 70% or more of their time working, and 25% or less of their time taking breaks. This allows for maximum profit without risking burnout, or a poor work-life balance. As you may have noticed though, this isn’t the norm. In fact, most Americans are only productive for a maximum of 60% of the time, with office workers down to only 31% of the time, while freelance workers are productive for a staggering 87% of the time.

Why does it take so long to get employed?

“Anticipation is keeping me waiting” Carly Simon was singing about heartache, not a job search. But when the hiring process drags out, job candidates can commiserate. So, why does the hiring process take so long? For all types of jobs, the hiring process now takes more than double the time it took in 2010.

1. For white collar jobs, the average time to hire is 68 business days, according to the Society for Human Resource Management,
2. That can feel like a lifetime when you’re on the waiting end for a job you really want or need.
3. Hiring processes have lengthened for several reasons.
4. For one thing, employers are requiring candidates to complete more assessments than they used to.

Background checks and references have always been important for obvious reasons, but personality tests and skills assessments are common now as well. Candidates are also often asked to do presentations to committees making the hiring decision, which requires juggling multiple schedules. Our last recession taught hiring managers that they could be highly selective in choosing staff because so many people needed jobs. The current historically low unemployment rate has flipped the scenario so that now the pool of candidates is quite small.

Is 1.5 hour commute too long?

No. It will take away significantly from any time you might have for other things. With a 9-hour work day and 3 hours of commuting, you have just enough time for life-maintenance tasks and sleep. I commute for about an hour and fifteen minutes both ways every day.