More workers are back in the office, at least sometimes

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: It had been a while since we checked in on the commuting situation.

What we found: We last checked about commutes in early August of 2023. Since then, return-to-office policies have clearly taken hold for most people. The number of workers saying they commute zero days a week has dropped in half to 13%. Those commuting five days or more has risen to just about half (49%), with increases also seen in those working three and four days a week.

As for how long people want their commutes to be, most (56%) responses fall into a range of 10 to 20 minutes. That was the sweet spot in 2023 as well. However, back-to-office has come along with traffic worsening in most major metro areas, with commute times topping pre-pandemic levels. The most recent Census data is from 2023 found that the typical American commutes more than 26 minutes each way.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

The Ipsos Vibe Check: Here's how Americans feel about the government this week 

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?