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As job seekers navigate their search, candidates say one factor has come into greater focus: the potential commute. For some, it could make or break an offer.
Despite the tight job market, Monster Career Expert Vicki Salemi says workers have a heightened awareness about how a long commute could impact their health and wallets.
A report by Monster Research Institute found that 49% of prospective employees declined an offer at least once in their career because the trip to work would be too lengthy or costly, while high gas prices influenced 65% of candidates to refine their job search. The survey, conducted in July 2026 by Pollfish, asked 1,005 employed adults in the U.S. to answer multiple choice questions about the impacts of commutes and rising living costs on their job search. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
“Job seekers are savvy and they’re looking at the entire comprehensive package of a job offer, which includes the commuting time and costs. They’re not solely looking at salary to determine whether or not they’re going to accept that job,” Salemi explains.
“Employees and job seekers are just really prioritizing work-life balance as well as their health,” Salemi says.
Before Kyyah Abdul, 33, secured a series of fully remote roles, she spent upwards of eight hours a day on the road. As a 22-year-old master’s student, she says she woke up at 4 a.m., made a three-hour commute to her biotech job, drove another three hours to class, then drove 45 minutes home. She says the combination of the long commute, heavy traffic and Los Angeles heat took a toll on her health.
Three months into her job, Abdul says she almost found herself in two accidents within the same week after dozing off behind the wheel. That’s when she made the decision to terminate her contract.
Abdul, a regulatory affairs professional and law school student, hasn’t had a commute in the seven years since. “I automatically will say no if there’s any prerequisite of me having to commute anywhere,” Abdul tells CNBC Make It about her previous job searches.
She’s not alone. For 30% of candidates, no incentive, including a higher salary or commuter benefits, could convince them to make an unfavorable commute, according to the Monster report.
Eva Badell, 25, took a “really big” pay cut in 2025 for a job 10 minutes away from her house. The yoga studio she managed required her to drive 30 minutes on the interstate, which she said made her feel detached from home.
“I want to be involved in the community in my home, and when I have to go a full 30 minutes away down the highway, it’s like I’m in a completely different community now,” she says.
Badell says gas prices influenced her decision to quit, too. Among job seekers, 65% say rising gas prices have changed what they’re looking for, with 23% saying they’re searching closer to home because of higher prices at the pump. Badell says she typically spent around $200 to $300 a month on gas alone. Despite the pay cut, the new job also meant she was spending around $100 less a month to get to work.
Like Badell, about 70% of the workforce drives to work solo, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to AAA, the national average of gasoline prices sat at $4.47 on Sept. 23, 41% above the $3.17 average from a year ago.
“Gas prices are definitely reshaping job searches,” Salemi says.
Commute times have also been on a gradual rise. The most recently available data from the U.S. Census shows that the average commute in 2024 was 27.2 minutes long, up from the 26.8 minute average in 2023.
Badell started a new job at a Nashville nonprofit in March 2026, which came with a better salary and benefits as well as a short commute. “Everyone is super, super caring for each other,” she says of her new workplace. “They want everyone to really protect their mental health. That’s a really big part of why I like this job so much.”
For Abdul, working remotely means she is able to concurrently complete her law school degree, which is hybrid. “I’m leveraging all the things that I’m learning in class and contributing that into the workspaces that I am in to make me a better regulatory professional, and that’s only to the benefit of the organization.”
Salemi says commuting concerns could be an opportunity for employers and candidates to “think outside the box” and meet in the middle when it comes to the final offer and benefits package.
“Some companies may already provide stipends or benefits to alleviate or offset some of the commuting expenses,” Salemi shares. “But if not, it’s something that job seekers can definitely try to negotiate.”
With no sign of commuting costs declining, lawmakers are trying to lower costs for in-person workers. Reps. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.; and Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., proposed a bill Monday, the Lowering Commuting Costs Act, aimed at personal commuting expenses which include gas, public transportation and tolls. If passed, commuters could receive a federal income tax break of up to $4,080 a year, according to the introduced bill.
Both Abdul and Badell say that while they love their jobs, they now have more time to enjoy life outside of work.
“I love my job. I love working in regulatory. I love helping patients,” Abdul says. “I’m not going to lose my life driving in a car for three hours on the road. I’m not going to risk my mental health or anything by working in a toxic work environment.”
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