Time is clearly money, y'all.
Credit: Jesse Scott
South Florida commuters have officially put a price on avoiding I-95, and it could cover several months (years?) of Publix subs, y’all.
Workers traveling between Fort Lauderdale and Miami would sacrifice $3,219 in annual salary to ditch the interstate, according to a new Resume.io survey of 3,017 workers. The hypothetical figure comes after accounting for money already spent on gas, maintenance and other commuting expenses.
That makes the Miami-Fort Lauderdale stretch of I-95 Florida’s third-most-dreaded commute. I-4 through metro Orlando took first place at $3,365, while Miami’s Palmetto Expressway landed second at $3,292.
The findings suggest those daily brake-light conventions can influence major career decisions. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they would accept a lower salary from another employer if it significantly reduced their commute. Nearly half, 46%, have rejected a job because the trip was too long or difficult.
The toll extends beyond wallets and patience. Thirty-one percent said stress or anxiety was the biggest personal cost, followed by reduced family time at 25% and lost sleep at 23%. Another 44% said commuting has negatively affected their physical or mental health.
Still, workers would sooner switch jobs than ZIP codes. Only 36% said they would move to a less desirable neighborhood for a substantially shorter commute.
