Working It

What the rise of ‘supercommuters’ tells us about work

Apr 9, 2024

The podcast explores the trend of 'supercommuters' who travel long distances for work. It features interviews with individuals who commute from rural areas to urban centers. The hosts discuss the impact of the pandemic on commuting habits and the challenges of balancing work and travel time. Insights are shared on the evolving patterns of commuting and the unique experiences of those who choose to live far from their workplace.

13:48

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Quick takeaways

Supercommuting allows for combining urban jobs with rural lifestyle, showcasing personal trade-offs for work-life balance.

Hybrid commuting models post-pandemic impact infrastructure demands, with some suburbs benefiting while others face challenges attracting commuters.

Deep dives

Return of Commuting Post-Pandemic

Despite predictions that the pandemic would permanently impact commuting habits, recent analysis indicates a resurgence in people traveling to work. The trend of commuting back to offices is growing, with some individuals undertaking longer super commutes to be physically present at work. The question arises whether living far away from work affects one's relevance and social connections in the office environment.

Introduction

2min

Evolving Commuting Patterns in Urban Centers

5min

Remote Work Transition and Supercommuting

2min

Colleagues' Reactions and Perceptions of Living Far from Work

2min

Exploring the Life of a Supercommuter

3min

During the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of workers got used to working at home. Some moved hundreds of miles from the cities where their companies were based to live a cheaper and less stressful life. But now that in-office work is back, a rising number of people are looking to eat their cake and have it, too, combining good jobs in urban centres with a peaceful rural life. To make that work, they have to ‘supercommute’, travelling for hours on end to get to the office. But why do they do it? Isabel speaks to Mo Marikar, who commutes from North Wales to London, and Max Dawes, who takes a ferry, bus, train and metro from the Isle of Wight to London – a four-hour commute. She also talks to FT journalists Emma Jacobs and Andrew Hill to find out how the commute has changed since the pandemic.

Want more? Free links:

The rise of the super-commuter

Commuting is back — but not as we knew it

What commuters get up to when they no longer commute

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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