From more than 6,000 workers throughout the UK surveyed by reed.co.uk, 15 per cent said they had considered moved jobs in the last 12 months just to avoid transport stress. Hundreds of people have actually moved.
While the South West is worst hit, with 18 per cent of workers thinking of moving jobs as a direct result of transport problems, the Thames Valley, Wales, North West and South come close behind with 17 per cent thinking of changing job location.
Bad transport continues to cause a whole range of difficulties at work. One in eight workers missed at least an hour's worth of work per week, rising to over four hours every week for some respondents. This means British business is losing over £5billion a year due to transport chaos.
Regionally, London was the hardest hit by time lost, where this figure rose to over one in six workers losing more than an hour a week. 'It makes you think seriously about working in London' said one frustrated commuter, 'Is it worth the money and stress?'
The Government's promise to improve public transport has clearly not persuaded the British population to use it. In all areas except London, travelling by car is the most popular mode of transport. In Wales 84% of the workforce travel to work by car, closely followed by the Home Counties and Thames Valley regions (81%) and East Anglia (79%). Some workers who do use public transport describe the existing system as 'diabolical', and call it a 'dirty and cramped' alternative to congested motorways.
Nearly half of the British workforce feel their journey to work is more stressful than four years ago. Though men and women are experiencing equal levels of stress, there seems to be variations in age. According to reed.co.uk's research, those experiencing the highest levels of stress caused due to transport problems are in their forties.
Home lives of respondents are suffering as well. One in three workers are has less time for their family and friends than twelve months ago, rising to 44 per cent amongst Londoners.
Paul Rapacioli, Director of reed.co.uk, says: "Transport problems have got so bad in this country that people are voting with their feet. In the last 12 months many thousands have moved where they work to try to avoid transport chaos. Yet the issue is too big to be solved by individuals alone. While the problem directly costs British business five billion pounds a year in lost productivity, the hidden cost to the economy in stress, disruption of family life and high staff turnover is clearly even greater. Employers urgently need to work with planners and the Government to find new solutions."
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For further information, please contact Tim Runacre on 0207 313 7458, Mob: 07779 789540 or Katy Nicholson, Press Officer. Mob: 07712 873780
Notes for editors
- reed.co.uk surveyed 6.111 workers across the UK during April 2002. Lost revenue calculations based on: Average 18.3 minutes of work time missed per person per week due to transport problems in their journey to work. Average UK hourly salary (non-manual) £11.92 (ONS) x Number of people in work 28.42million (Labour Market Statistics, February 2000). Total figure lost is £5,372,835,104
- reed.co.uk is the UK's leading internet job site, with over 85,000 jobs from more than 20,000 recruiters attracting over half a million unique visitors every month.
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