Survey Finds Americans Driving to Work in Droves Despite Gas Prices,
With Little Help from Employers
The “Working in America: Drivers Cope with
Soaring Gas Prices” survey shows that
Americans are finding ways to cut back on spending –
but not commuting – in tough economic times
CHELMSFORD, Mass. (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) August 20, 2008 --
With gas prices soaring, Americans are feeling the pain at the pump.
According to a new survey, “Working in
America: Drivers Cope with Soaring Gas Prices”
sponsored by The
Workforce Institute™
at Kronos®
Incorporated and conducted online via Harris Interactive®,
very few of them are changing the way they commute to work.
Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents say they primarily drive to
and from work, with only seven percent taking public transportation and
only four percent carpooling. A full 68 percent of respondents who work
outside the home say the price of gas has not changed how they get to
and from work.
The majority of respondents are not changing their commuting practices
and they’re not getting any help from their
employers either. An overwhelming 80 percent of respondents say that
their employer has not provided them with any benefits to help cope with
the higher price of gas. Among the benefits being offered that are
helping workers: telecommuting (8 percent), subsidized public
transportation (four percent), compressed work schedule (four percent);
and organizing/supporting carpools (three percent).
“There are several ways that employers can
take a more active role in helping employees deal with higher gas prices,”
said Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos
Incorporated. “Whether it’s
allowing employees to work from home when it makes good business sense,
scheduling employees to work compressed workweeks, or connecting them
with co-workers who live in their area and work similar hours for
potential carpools, these tactics can go a long way in easing the
financial burden on employees.”
Cutting back
While American workers are not changing the way they commute to work,
they are making other lifestyle changes to cope with gas prices and
current economic conditions. Sixty-nine percent of respondents say they
have cut back on unnecessary spending; 59 percent say they are driving
less; 57 percent are going out to eat less; and 30 percent have
postponed a vacation because of the state of the economy.
In addition, of those surveyed who hold more than one job, 61 percent
say they do so because of financial obligations (mortgage, medical
bills, debt repayment, etc.) while 43 percent say the higher price of
gas is a factor.
“Between relentless price hikes in food and
energy, flat paychecks, and falling home prices, family budgets are
deeply stressed,” said Jared Bernstein,
Director of the Living Standards Program at The Economic Policy
Institute and board member of The Workforce Institute. “Of
course, businesses are stressed too, and many can't afford to compensate
their workers for the higher prices they face. Thus, workplace policies
that facilitate less driving make a lot of sense right now.”
Stay-cations on the rise
Of those respondents who say they have taken less vacation time
this year, 65 percent say it is because they do not have the money to
take a vacation. Likewise, of those who have taken vacations closer to
home (within 200 miles), 38 percent say it is due to the higher price of
gas.
“A lot of research points to the importance
of taking vacation,” says Maroney. “Vacations
enable workers to re-charge their creativity, avoid burn-out and return
to work with a fresh perspective. If you don’t
have the money to travel, consider taking a ‘stay-cation’
where you take time off but stay at home or closer to home. It’s
still time away from work, and that alone has benefit.”
Survey Methodology
The “Working in America: Drivers Cope with
Soaring Gas Prices” survey was conducted
online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of The
Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated between July 16th
and July 24th, 2008 among 1,106 U.S. adults
aged 18 and over who are employed full- or part-time. There were 861
employed full-time, 274 employed part-time and 781 who had taken
vacation time from their job in the past year. Results were weighted as
needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and household
income. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability
sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often
not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage
error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question
wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin
of error” as they are misleading. All that
can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different
probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response
rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close
to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have
agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been
weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population.
Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to
participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no
estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a
long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our
science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results.
Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American,
European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research
firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
About Kronos Incorporated
Kronos Incorporated empowers organizations around the world to
effectively manage their workforce. At Kronos, we are experts who are
solely focused on delivering software and services that enable
organizations to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve employee
satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the level of service they provide.
Kronos serves customers in more than 60 countries through its network of
offices, subsidiaries, and distributors. Widely recognized as a market
and thought leader in managing the workforce, Kronos has unrivaled reach
with more than 30 million people using a Kronos solution every day.
Learn more about Kronos at www.kronos.com.
Note to Editors
Cite survey findings as: “Working in America:
Drivers Cope with Soaring Gas Prices” survey
commissioned by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated.
© 2008 Kronos Incorporated. Kronos
and the Kronos logo are registered trademarks and The Workforce
Institute is a trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company.
All other product and company names mentioned are used for
identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
See the original story at: http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/kronos/percent/prweb1231154.htm
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