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America’s Commute to Work Is Getting Longer and Longer
(www.wsj.com)
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this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2024
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
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- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
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I drive 100 miles a day for my IT job in Austin. I live in Rockdale... So my commute is ~1:30 each way.
But the prices getting closer towards Austin are so bad, I don't wanna move out of principal since I'd be doing nothing but burning money through rent and not receiving anything in return...
That is 3 hours a day you could be doing something else. No matter how much it pays, it isn't worth it.
I've stopped applying to companies if it is more than half an hour away. Unless I can work like 4/5 at home.
But I'm from Europe, so there is that.
Here in the US, our safety net has the punjis poking through it. That way we don't overburden the net by falling on it, the spikes will catch us instead. We don't really have much power to pick employers here, we really gotta pick the best paying job we can find in a really short time. Oh, and can't be switching jobs too much, since lots of employers can deny you health insurance until you've worked with them for 90 days. Isn't that such a fun system‽
Well that's not true regarding worth. There's A number that is sufficient.
Your drive time is just part of your "work". Is the drive time, plus your work time, plus latent career / project stress less than your total comp received? If so, that drive is just a "boring part" of your work day. If not, as you say, it isn't worth it.
I may have an opportunity coming up to work in greater Austin. It's tempting for many reasons, and I like the area, but I don't think I can make it work for exactly that reason...housing prices are sky high.
For me it would mean trading a lot of financial stability for quality of life, or having a commute similar to yours. Living in or near the city is probably still manageable for those who have been there for many years, but I think most newcomers will find housing prohibitively expensive.