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The causal effect of commute time on labor supply: Evidence from a natural experiment involving substitute teachers

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  • Gershenson, Seth

Abstract

The effect of commute time on labor supply is estimated in a unique labor market in which workers are subject to daily exogenous variation in commute time and are free to make daily labor supply decisions: substitute teaching. Data on both accepted and rejected job offers received by substitute teachers are used to estimate a sequential binary-choice model of job-offer acceptance decisions. The elasticity of the offer–acceptance probability with respect to commute time is found to be about −0.4. The aversion to commuting is about 36% larger on extremely cold mornings, but precipitation has essentially zero impact on commuting preferences. The effect of fuel price is of the expected sign, but imprecisely estimated. Women are particularly averse to commuting on cold mornings and are more sensitive to variation in fuel prices than men, but no statistically significant difference in the overall aversion to commuting is found between men and women.

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  • Gershenson, Seth, 2013. "The causal effect of commute time on labor supply: Evidence from a natural experiment involving substitute teachers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 127-140.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:54:y:2013:i:c:p:127-140
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2013.07.010
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    Cited by:

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    2. Lorenz, Olga & Goerke, Laszlo, 2015. "Commuting and Sickness Absence," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113173, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Xiaoyu Wang & Jinquan Gong & Chunan Wang, 2020. "How Does Commute Time Affect Labor Supply in Urban China? Implications for Active Commuting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Hörcher, Daniel & De Borger, Bruno & Seifu, Woubit & Graham, Daniel J., 2020. "Public transport provision under agglomeration economies," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Eva Gutiérrez-i-Puigarnau & Jos N van Ommeren, 2015. "Commuting and labour supply revisited," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(14), pages 2551-2563, November.
    6. Tikoudis, Ioannis & Verhoef, Erik T. & van Ommeren, Jos N., 2015. "On revenue recycling and the welfare effects of second-best congestion pricing in a monocentric city," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 32-47.
    7. Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2020. "Commuting and self-employment in Western Europe," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Kim, Dongwoo & Koedel, Cory & Ni, Shawn & Podgursky, Michael, 2017. "Labor market frictions and production efficiency in public schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 54-67.
    9. Kobus, Martijn B.W. & Van Ommeren, Jos N. & Rietveld, Piet, 2015. "Student commute time, university presence and academic achievement," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 129-140.

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