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Involuntary Changes in Commuting Distances: Effects on Subjective Well-Being in the Era of Mobile Internet

Author

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  • Katharina Bettig
  • Valentin Lindlacher

Abstract

Commuting is a fundamental aspect of employees’ daily routines and continues to evolve with technological advancements. Yet the effects of commuting on subjective well-being remain insufficiently investigated in the context of expanding digital connectivity. This paper examines the causal effects of changes in commuting distance on subjective well-being in an era of widespread mobile internet availability. Exploiting exogenous shifts in commuting distance resulting from employer-driven workplace relocations, we employ a Difference-in-Differences framework using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) from 2010 to 2019. Our results show that an involuntary increase in commuting distance reduces life satisfaction by 3 percent, on average, and heightens feelings of worry by almost 8 percent, on average. Our heterogeneity analysis shows that increased mobile coverage during commutes partially mitigates the decline in life satisfaction but exacerbates the negative impact on satisfaction with leisure.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharina Bettig & Valentin Lindlacher, 2025. "Involuntary Changes in Commuting Distances: Effects on Subjective Well-Being in the Era of Mobile Internet," CESifo Working Paper Series 11784, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11784
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    File URL: https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp11784.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    commuting; subjective well-being; mobile coverage; life satisfaction; SOEP; panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General

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