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Long Commuting Time and the Benefits of Telecommuting

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  • Masayuki MORIKAWA

Abstract

This study, using original survey data, presents empirical evidence on the relationship between commuting time and telecommuting on the one hand, and wages and subjective well-being on the other hand in Japan, where long commuting time is prevalent. According to the analysis, first, individuals, particularly female and non-standard employees, have a strong preference for avoiding long commuting hours compared to long working hours. Second, there is a wage premium for long commuters, and this is greater for female employees. Third, although the number of telecommuters is currently very small, they enjoy wage premiums and higher job satisfaction. These findings suggest that diffusion of telecommuting and satellite offices may contribute to increasing the labor market participation of female and elderly people in metropolitan areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Masayuki MORIKAWA, 2018. "Long Commuting Time and the Benefits of Telecommuting," Discussion papers 18025, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    • Handle: RePEc:eti:dpaper:18025
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bonin, Holger & Eichhorst, Werner & Kaczynska, Jennifer & Kümmerling, Angelika & Rinne, Ulf & Scholten, Annika & Steffes, Susanne, 2020. "Verbreitung und Auswirkungen von mobiler Arbeit und Homeoffice," IZA Research Reports 99, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Silva-C, Alejandro & Montoya R, Iván A. & Valencia A, Jhoany A., 2019. "The attitude of managers toward telework, why is it so difficult to adopt it in organizations?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    4. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2021. "Work-from-Home Productivity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Surveys of Employees and Employers," SSPJ Discussion Paper Series DP20-007, Service Sector Productivity in Japan: Determinants and Policies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    5. Keisuke KONDO, 2020. "A Structural Estimation of the Disutility of Commuting," Discussion papers 20031, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    6. José Nilmar de Oliveira & Jaime Orrillo & Franklin Gamboa, 2022. "Distracting activities in times of COVID‐19 pandemic and their relation to labor supply," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(3), pages 219-231, September.
    7. Masayuki Morikawa, 2022. "Work‐from‐home productivity during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from Japan," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 508-527, April.
    8. Kawaguchi, Daiji & Motegi, Hiroyuki, 2021. "Who can work from home? The roles of job tasks and HRM practices," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    9. Masayuki MORIKAWA, 2020. "Productivity of Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from an Employee Survey," Discussion papers 20073, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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