When measuring the effects of work on people's daily lives, in order to find ways to improve quality of life, one of the topics that undoubtedly comes up is the time spent at home. to work and vice versa, since on many occasions This becomes more than desirable for any worker.
This is why there are those who say that the best investment that can be made when looking for quality of life is to find a place of residence that is close to the office or workplace, since this translates into more time free for other daily tasks or simply to dedicate to self-care tasks.
A recent analysis by the Anif Center for Economic Studies reviewed the travel times to and from work of Colombians today, highlighting that this reality has gained relevance in the analysis of the labor market, especially in cities where public transportation It is inefficient.
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“According to the Inter-American Development Bank, the implementation of public transportation systems in the country has not achieved the quality and efficiency standards necessary for the population (IDB, 2020). For example, Bogotá is classified as one of the cities with the worst traffic in the world, obtaining 19th place out of 387 in the TomTom Traffic Index,” they explained.
Using information from the Great Dane Integrated Household Survey, these experts analyzed the median daily commute time to work, finding that this indicator went from 29.8 to 31.3 minutes per trip between 2019 and 2023 at the national level, a figure that they highlighted is not so high, compared to other countries in the world.
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“However, when disaggregated by population groups, interesting findings are found. For example, in 2019, it took women 28.8 minutes to get to work, while men 31.3, but after the pandemictravel time for women is
increased to 33.1, while for men it decreased to 30.1,” they explained.
Another fact that draws attention has to do with the duration of the trip, which varies depending on the educational level, since workers with post-secondary education take 35.4 minutes on average per trip, while those without formal education use 24.9 minutes. .
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Regarding occupational position, company employees and government workers travel about 35 minutes each way, compared to day laborers or unpaid family workers, who take between 14.5 and 18.1 minutes. Self-employed workers and employers take 27.6 and 28 minutes to get to their workplace, respectively.
“This change in labor dynamics has implications for long-term variables, such as urban development, education, family income and health. Workers can now choose to live in areas further away from urban centers, which can have positive effects on family income due to lower housing costs. Furthermore, having more space in environments far from the city can encourage healthier lifestyles and reduce stress, thus improving mental health,” they added.
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How much do these times cost?
Taking into account the information already mentioned, Anif took on the task of quantifying the impact that these times can have economically, reviewing aspects such as the opportunity cost, that is, the value that the time lost in transfers would have, if It will be used for production issues.
“The daily opportunity cost for a worker in the agriculture sector is $3,580, for someone in public administration, health and education it amounts to $18,320. Workers with a high school education level face a cost of $6,480 per day; However, for postgraduate students, it increases to $26,400,” they explained.
Now, it is worth noting that these values change depending on the geographical areas, since, for example, in the Caribbean, Amazon and Orinoquía region, the cost does not exceed $4,000 per day; while, in Bogotá, it amounts to $13,360.
“Thus, although salaries are higher in Bogotá, the opportunity cost of going to work is proportionally higher. This means that the net benefit must be evaluated in relation to the cost of travel, taking into account that the time dedicated to moving could be used in other activities,” says the analysis.
In this sense, he maintains that it is important to recognize that the benefits of hybrid and remote work modalities depend on the availability of these work options and that in the absence of this flexibility, the increase in distance to the workplace can have negative effects on the quality of life and well-being of employees.