Xymax Real Estate Institute

TOPIC REPORT

Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to theCOVID Pandemic
Commute frequency, in addition to time, affects commuting stress

March 21, 2024

Introduction
As companies responded to the COVID pandemic by increasingly adopting teleworking, such as working
from home, commuting to the office every day on crowded trains became a work style of the past. Now
that there appears to be a movement to return to the office after the pandemic, how has the commute ofoffice workers changed?
In 2019, prior to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, Xymax Real Estate Institute (“Xymax REI”) analyzed
the relationship between commute time, commute stress and satisfaction among office workers in Greater
Tokyo.*1*2 In this report, we compare their results with the results of the Metropolitan Areas Office Worker
Survey 2023*3 conducted in December 2023 to quantify the changes in the commutes of Greater Tokyo
office workers before and after the pandemic. We hope that this will serve as a reference for companies
seeking the optimal solution for coming to the office and teleworking so that commuting does not returnto the previous stressful commute.
*1 Effect of Commuting Stress on the Working People’s Satisfaction, released on June 4, 2019https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20190604.pdf*2 The Effectiveness of Setting Up a Workplace Other than in Central Tokyo, released on October 4, 2019https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20191004.pdf*3 Metropolitan Areas Office Worker Survey 2023 (1) Work Style Reality and Needs, released on December 13, 2023
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20231213_1_detailed.pdf
Metropolitan Areas Office Worker Survey 2023 (2) Evaluation of Work Styles, released on December 13, 2023
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20231213_2_detailed.pdf<Survey Overview>
・Greater Tokyo Office Worker Survey 2019
Original data

https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20190604.pdf

・Metropolitan Areas Office Worker Survey 2023
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20231213_1_detailed.pdf

Analysistargets

No. of valid
answers

Of those who replied that their regular office is in Greater Tokyo (Tokyo and three peripheral
prefectures), those who commute to their office at least once a week.

・2019: 1,895・2023: 1,922 (The aggregation was done by weighting back according to the percentage mix ofgender and age of office workers in the Greater Tokyo Office Worker Survey 2019.)

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or c ompleteness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

1TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate Institute

Changes in Commute Before and After the Pandemic
Commute time
Figure 1 shows the commute time from the respondents’ homes to their regular offices.*4 The averagecommute time in 2023 was 53.4 minutes, longer than the 49.4 minutes in 2019.
*4 Commute time: The door-to-door travel time (one-way) from the respondents’ home using their usual meansof commuting (e.g., train, bus, car, bicycle, walking).

Figure 1: Average Commute Time from Home to Office (2019 and 2023)))

In terms of the distribution of commute times in 2019 and 2023, the most common commute time was“40–59 minutes” in 2019, increasing to “60–89 minutes” in 2023 (Figure 2). We also found that while thepercentage of “1–39 minutes” commutes decreased, the percentage of relatively long commutes of “60minutes or more” was on the rise.
Figure 2: Distribution of Commute Times from Home to Office (2019 and 2023)

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

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TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate InstituteThe factor for the longer commute times is that the place of residence of workers commuting to central
Tokyo may have changed. Figure 3 shows that while there was little change between 2019 and 2023 in theplace of residence of workers commuting to an office outside the 23 wards of Tokyo (“Tokyo 23 Wards”),
the percentage of workers who “commute to an office in Tokyo 23 Wards and live outside Tokyo 23 Wards”
increased by 4.7 percentage points between 2019 and 2023. This trend is pronounced among older workers
in their 60s and above and younger workers in their 20s and 30s (Figure 4). Possible factors include cases
where the experience of teleworking during the pandemic may have shifted workers’ values away fromliving near the office in central Tokyo, resulting in longer distances between the office and place ofresidence.
Figure 3: Distribution of Place of Residence (2019 and 2023) – By Office Location)

Figure 4: Distribution of Place of Residence (2019 and 2023) – By Age; Office Within Tokyo 23 Wards)

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

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TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate InstituteCommute frequency
Figure 5 shows the frequency of commuting*5 to the office by office workers in Greater Tokyo. The
average frequency of commuting per week in 2023 was 4.1 times, down from 4.8 times in 2019.
*5 Frequency of commuting (commute frequency): The number of times per week respondents commute to theirregular office (maximum of 7). However, the maximum number for 2019 is 5 by setting the workweek to a 5day workweek (the answers from those who work for other than 5 days a week are converted to a 5-day
workweek basis). Excludes those whose commute frequency is 0.

Figure 5: Average Frequency of Commuting to the Office (2019 and 2023)))

Looking at the distribution of commute frequency, the percentage of “5 or more times a week” decreased
significantly by 24.7 points, from 87.3% in 2019 to 62.6% in 2023 (Figure 6). On the other hand, we foundthat the percentage of commute frequency of “1–4 times a week” has increased, especially for “Once aweek”.
Figure 6: Distribution of Frequency of Commuting to the Office (2019 and 2023)

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not bereproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

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TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate Institute
Figure 7 shows the relationship between commute frequency and commute time. Looking at commute
frequency by commute time, in 2019, before the pandemic, when it was assumed that all employees cameto the office full time, commute frequency was roughly uniform at about 5 days per week regardless ofcommute time. In 2023, however, there was a tendency for those with longer commutes to commute less,suggesting that there is some kind of relationship between how often workers come to the office and theircommute times.
Figure 7: Commute Frequency (2019 and 2023) – By Commute Time

Changes in Commuting Stress
Figure 8 shows the stress*6 that workers typically feel while commuting. Commuting stress felt by office
workers tended to be higher in 2023 than in 2019.
*6 Based on an 11-point rating from 0 (low stress) to 10 (high stress).

Figure 8: Stress Typically Felt While Commuting to the Office (2019 and 2023))

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

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TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate Institute
Could the reason for the increase in commuting stress despite the decrease in commute frequency perweek (Figure 6) be the longer commute?
To examine this, we analyzed the relationship between commuting stress and commute time. Figure 9shows the results of comparing average commuting stress by commute time. The general trend in both2019 and 2023 is that commuting stress is higher for those with longer commute times.
However, in 2023, the level of commuting stress for those with a relatively long commute of 60 minutes
or more was roughly the same as in 2019. On the other hand, those with a commute time of less than 60
minutes tended to have higher commuting stress than in 2019. This may be related to the fact that, asshown in Figure 7, those with shorter commutes commuted more often than those with long commutes.
Figure 9: Average Commuting Stress (2019 and 2023) – By Commute Time)

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

6TOPIC REPORT｜Xymax Real Estate InstituteTo Prevent a Return to Pre-Pandemic Stressful Commute
Before the COVID pandemic, the causal relationship was simple—the longer the commute, the greater
the stress. Through our analysis, however, we found that the picture of commuting has changed after thepandemic—not only commute time but also commute frequency affects commuting stress. A possible
background factor is that while before the pandemic, there was no option other than to commute “everyday,” the existence of the option “not to commute every day” due to the pandemic has made workers feelstress more strongly when they choose to commute.
Companies must also pay more attention to reducing commuting stress for workers in order to hire andretain talent. The key, for example, would be to strike a balance between teleworking and an appropriate
frequency of coming to the office so that workers do not feel commuting stress, as described below.
● We confirmed that commuting stress increases with longer commuting times, as it did before thepandemic. And since “Stressful commute” is workers’ top dissatisfaction with their current work style, asshown in Xymax REI’s Metropolitan Areas Office Worker Survey 2023,*7 it is desirable to provide a buffer
against the disadvantages of long commutes. In addition to adjusting commute frequency, establishingand providing options for work locations, such as satellite offices near employees’ homes, could help
reduce commuting stress.
● The fact that commuting stress is higher than before the pandemic, even for short commutes, cannot beoverlooked. A possible factor is that the frequency of commuting is greater among those with shortcommutes than those with long commutes. However, since one of the top dissatisfactions of workers, as
shown in the office worker survey in 2023,*7 is “Must come to the office even if the work could be done
through telework,” it is desirable to create an environment where workers can telework equallyregardless of commute time. Specifically, it would be important to eliminate the sense of inequality
between those who can and cannot telework and to foster a corporate culture that avoids making it“difficult to telework due to atmosphere of workplace or intention of supervisor.”*7 Metropolitan Areas Office Worker Survey 2023 (2) Evaluation of Work Styles, released on December 13, 2023
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20231213_2_detailed.pdf

In addition, a study*8 by Xymax REI has revealed that not only increasing the options for when and whereto work but also giving workers discretion over where to work can be expected to improve worker
satisfaction and engagement. Therefore, initiatives to encourage and support the effective use of such
options will also be necessary. Updating the office itself will also be important. Companies should beconscious of creating offices and providing value so that workers want to come to the office voluntarily,rather than forcing them to commute to the office.
*8 The Benefits of Hybrid Work for Companies, released on May 24, 2023
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/images/pdf/20230524.pdf
The percentage mix in the charts contained in this report is rounded to the first decimal place and, therefore, may not add up to 100%.

For further inquiries please contact below:
Xymax Real Estate Institutehttps://soken.xymax.co.jp | E-MAIL: info-rei@xymax.co.jp

TOPIC REPORT: Deciphering “Commute” That Changed Due to the COVID Pandemic
The contents of this report are as of the time of writing. Xymax Real Estate Institute does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. This report may not be
reproduced, cited, transmitted, distributed, or reprinted without prior permission of Xymax Real Estate Institute.
Copyright © 2024 Xymax Real Estate Institute Corporation. All rights reserved.

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