The impact of escalating fuel costs has taken its toll on American commuters. Of the 89 percent of workers who said they drive to work, nearly half (47 percent) reported they had to give up something in order to afford the gas needed for their commute. This is according to CareerBuilder.com's latest survey completed in June 2008 of more than 8,700 workers nationwide.
When asked to identify what they had to forego in order to accommodate higher fuel prices, workers reported they:
* Ate out less -- 35 percent
* Spent less money on entertainment -- 31 percent
* Bought less expensive groceries -- 27 percent
* Went shopping for clothes less -- 24 percent
* Did not go on vacation -- 21 percent
* Eliminated cable, magazine subscriptions, etc. -- 11 percent
* Did not attend a function where they would be expected to bring a gift
-- 9 percent
* Cut back on their child's extracurricular activities -- 4 percent
Given the cost of gas today, 60 percent of workers said they would be willing to drive up to 20 miles to the office. Twenty-nine percent would only drive up to 10 miles while 10 percent would only drive up to five miles.
"Today's workers have had to modify personal budgets, spending choices and commuting habits to manage the adverse effects today's gas prices have had on their pocketbooks," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "One-in-ten workers said they would take a pay cut for a job with a shorter commute."
Haefner recommends the following tips to stretch your commuting dollars:
1) Check for office perks -- Twelve percent of workers reported their employers offer some form of financial reimbursement for the commute. Of these, 31 percent said their employers provide public transit reimbursement, 20 percent cited reduced transit vouchers and 9 percent cited carpooling incentives.
2) Try carpooling -- Not only does carpooling promote a healthier environment, it also contributes to a healthier bank account. Eight percent of workers said they catch a ride to the office with co-workers. Of these workers, 22 percent estimated they save more than $50 per week carpooling and 51 percent save more than $25 per week.
3) Take mass transit -- Catching a bus or train can cut down on costs and travel times. Seven percent of workers said they are taking public transportation to and from work instead of driving due to rising energy costs.
4) Telecommute -- The cheapest way to travel is no travel at all. More employers today are offering flexible work arrangements and may accommodate a request to work from home a day or two to help mitigate commute costs.
5) Get in shape -- Take advantage of the warm weather to walk or ride your bike to work if the commute length allows for it.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 8,785 employees (employed full-time; not self-employed) between May 22 and June 13, 2008. Percentages for some questions are based on a subset of responses to certain questions. With a pure probability sample of 8,785, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.05 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc.
Media Contact: CareerBuilder.com Jennifer Grasz 773-527-1164Jennifer.Grasz@careerbuilder.com
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
SOURCE: CareerBuilder.com
CONTACT: Jennifer Grasz of CareerBuilder.com, +1-773-527-1164,
Web site: http://www.careerbuilder.com/