Hybrid work gives rise to “super commuting”

The Future. Hybrid work (only having to come into the office a couple of times a week or even a month) is supercharging the number of workers who could be called “super commuters.” That’s changing the geography of where people work, play, and live. As return-to-office requirements take effect, companies that find a way to cater to super commuters may attract both seasoned employees and those who are just entering the workforce.

Planes, trains, and automobiles
Are you traveling over three hours round trip to the office? Welcome to the super commuter club.

• Super commuters are considered anyone taking a train or car from an exurb outside a big city to flying in from a town in an entirely different state.
• Insider says that’s great news for industry centers like NYC, LA, San Francisco, and Miami but spells trouble for “mid-tier cities like Cleveland and Syracuse,” which were built up as regional hubs for companies.
• Super commuting is mostly geared towards the executive class who can afford the travel (or have the trip expensed), but entry-level employees have found it can give them a big city job and the ability to live at their parents’ house in Iowa.

In 2019, the Census Bureau discovered the number of Americans who commuted 90 minutes or more for work was around 3.1%. With 46% of people who worked from home during the pandemic now having a hybrid schedule, we’re pretty sure the next census will find that percentage to be much higher.

We’re all just vacationing to the office now.