Transport
problems have caused one in six people to consider changing where they work in
the last year, according to new research by internet job site Reed.
Fifteen
per cent of more than 6,000 workers surveyed by Reed said they had considered
moving jobs in the last 12 months just to avoid transport stress. Hundreds of
people had 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.
Reed
said this means British business is losing over £5bn a year due to transport
delays.
Regionally
London was the hardest hit by time lost. Over one in six London workers lost
more than an hour a week.
Reed
said the Government’s promise to improve public transport has 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 per cent of the workforce travel to work by car, closely followed by
the Home Counties and Thames Valley regions (81 per cent) and East Anglia (79
per cent).
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’s research, those
experiencing the highest stress levels caused by transport problems are in
their forties.
Home
lives of respondents are suffering as well. One in three workers have less time
for their family and friends than 12 months ago, rising to 44 per cent among
Londoners.
Paul
Rapacioli, director of reed.co.uk, said: "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 £5bn 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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