Longer distance commuting as a substitute for migration in Britain: a review of trends, issues and implications

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed important changes in working and family lives in Britain. Key labour market developments include growth in higher‐level non‐manual occupations, of women in employment, and in flexible working practices. One outcome of these trends has been an increase in ‘two‐earner’ households. Meanwhile, research on commuting patterns has revealed a trend towards longer, and more geographically diverse, journey‐to‐work flows. For some subgroups of the population, the growth in flexible working practices and the diffusion of information technologies has meant that more work can be undertaken at home, so negating the need to travel to work on a daily basis, and perhaps weakening the locational ties between residences and workplaces. Drawing on analyses of commuting data from secondary sources as well as on selected results from a research project on long‐distance commuting in Britain, this article investigates the extent to which, and why, households may choose to substitute longer‐distance commuting for migration. Reasons for long‐distance weekly commuting, and associated advantages and disadvantages from individual, household and employer perspectives, are outlined. The evidence points to increasing complexity in home and working lives, with important implications for housing, transport and human resource management policies, as well as for family life. Long‐distance weekly commuting may yield substantial financial and career benefits for the commuter, but the majority of costs are borne by his/her partner. For some individuals and households, such a lifestyle is one to be ‘enjoyed’, and is seen as sustainable over the medium‐term, whereas for others it is a case of ‘enduring suffering’ until the family home and the workplace may be brought into closer alignment. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.