Sad But True: The Longer the Commute, the Shorter the Marriage

We knew that long commutes were harder on the family. It means more time on the road and less time to spend at home. So a recent Swedish study which found that divorce rates were higher the longer the commute makes good sense. The Local reports that 11 percent of Swedes commute 45 minutes or longer. Most are men and many have a spouse and kids waiting at home.

According to The Local:

In families where the man commutes, the woman is often forced to take a less qualified job closer to home, which means both less money as well as a larger share of the responsibility for kids and household.

While some women also have long commutes they feel more guilty than men leaving their families for such long periods of time.

The risk for these commuters of divorce goes up a shocking 40 percent and is highest in the first few years of the commute.

"There could be another selection process at work there as well, that the 'weaker' relationships can't take that kind of strain in the first place," study author Erika Sandow said.

"The trend is definitely pointing upward. Both the journey to work and the working hours are getting longer, " Sandow told The Local.

How much time is your daily commute taking out of your life. Not just in terms of your marriage, but in terms of your family as a whole and your overall work/life balance. In the end, would it make more sense to live in a smaller home closer to your job or maybe work from home at least a few days per week?

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