1 in 2 job seekers have quit or refused work due to limited transport options MAX report finds

• 52% of people surveyed for this report had to quit a job or turn down a job offer due to their inability to commute to the workplace.
• 66% of customers surveyed were willing to travel 25 km or further to work.
• 60% of those living in outer suburbs or regional and rural towns said public transport didn’t meet their expectations.
• 70% suggested cheaper registration and running costs as the top solution to mitigate transport issues when searching for work.
• 35% of those who responded to the survey did not have a licence.

MAX Solutions, one of Australia’s largest employment services providers, has released the results of a survey into the impact of transport availability and affordability on seeking and maintaining employment.

The “Getting to Work” whitepaper seeks to better understand and highlight the impact of a lack of affordable and accessible transport on vulnerable sectors of our community, particularly those looking for or trying to maintain employment.

For those seeking employment these impacts are keenly felt with 1 in 2 job seekers unable to maintain or enter employment due to transport-related limitations.

While there are certain cohorts that are more significantly impacted, this issue cuts across demographics and is a real problem right across the country.     

Managing Director Darren Hooper said:

Key findings

People looking for work, can't get to work

While the barriers to employment differ from person to person, one of the bigger impediments that cuts across demographic profiles is the commute.

52% of people surveyed for this report had to quit a job or turn down a job offer due to their inability to commute to the workplace.

This data point is consistent when we look at where respondents live. While you may expect regional or rural customers to be more affected, of those surveyed, roughly half in every geographic location had to quit a job or refuse a job offer due to transport inaccessibility or affordability.

The issue of commute times often receives media attention; however, the focus is on those who are in work and those who live within major metropolitan areas and experience issues associated with infrastructure changes. Those who live regionally or rurally and those out of work are mostly left out and their challenges are not considered. 
 

The commute matters

The overwhelming majority (89%) of those surveyed consider the commute as an important factor when choosing which jobs to apply for. This is understandable as research continues to show potential detrimental health impacts of long commute distances.

Despite this, 66% of customers surveyed were willing to travel 25 km or further to work. When you consider that commuting averages nationally are sitting at 16.5 km, this shows it is not that people aren’t willing to travel further or for a longer period of time to get to work.
 

Public transport in remote regional and outer metro areas is not meeting needs

60% of those who live in remote regional or outer areas said that public transport did not meet expectations for convenience and accessibility.

Infrastructure investment in remote, regional, and outer metropolitan areas typically revolves around large-scale road building to ease traffic congestion. Largely, areas with lower population densities do not receive the benefits of accessible and affordable public transport networks.

For those who live further away from cities, the issue becomes more pronounced.

50% of customers surveyed who could not maintain employment or had to refuse a job were rural or remote residents. When asked about driving, 44% of the people who did not have a license were also rural or remote residents. While the data we have collected shows a nationwide issue, those who live further out are more likely to experience transportation as a barrier. Coupled with less economic opportunity in those areas, unemployment and disadvantage can become entrenched in these communities.
 

Public vs private transport

For the majority of Australians (56.6%), private transport is the main method of travel to get to work.

While there are many reasons why a person may prefer private transport, there was a clear consensus from over half (56%) of our respondents that other options, such as public transport, were not meeting their needs.

In fact, of those who had to quit or decline a job offer, more than half of impacted respondents identified a lack of public transport as the main cause.

For those who do not have access to their own private transport, public transport may be the only option. As a result, the types of work and accessible employment available to them changes.

Recent studies have shown just how inequitable public transport is the further out from the CBD you live.

In most cities, outer ring suburbs both have the largest populations but the least access to public transport options.
 

Private transport costs

The average cost to fuel a car was $73.01 in 2023. Combined with the cost to maintain ($1664 annually) and insure ($900 – $1700 annually) a vehicle, a person on limited income is unlikely to be able to afford these expenses. 

This of course assumes that a person already owns a vehicle. For those on limited incomes such as government support payments, saving for a vehicle is largely out of reach.

Additionally, there are extremely limited financing options for those on this level of income. While there are more affordable vehicle options such as a scooter, motorbike, or bicycle, they might not be for everyone (particularly those with disability).

41% of customers noted that one of the main reasons they had for quitting a job or not accepting a job offer was the inability to afford a car.

While the costs above are annualised, maintenance issues or accidents that require repair create sudden situations that can throw people off track. These events can be expensive and for those that can't afford to repair their vehicle, it could mean losing their job and income.

This is echoed by our customers who overwhelmingly (70%) suggested cheaper registration and running costs as the top solution to mitigate transport issues when searching for work.
 

Many don't have a licence

35% of those who responded to the survey did not have a licence and of those 37% didn't own a car.

There are many reasons why a person may not have needed a license or is unable to get one.

Those who have learning difficulties or come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may struggle with applications or tests. There may be physical or health reasons that exclude them from having a license. Or they simply may not have had the financial resources or support networks to enable them to get a license when they were younger.

The costs of trying to obtain a licence can be prohibitive for those on government payments leaving little option but to rely on support networks, if they have them, or public transport. Certain cohorts are disproportionately affected. Of those surveyed who did not have a license, 46% had a disability and 32% were parents or carers.

For these groups, public transport may not be an option either due to a lack of accessibility or convenient scheduling. As inner city and CBD industry typically accommodates white-collar workers and hospitality, public transport doesn’t cater well for blue-collar workers. Industries such as construction, manufacturing and warehousing are commonly found in industrial areas which are harder to reach via public transport options.

In more rural and regional areas that may have more opportunities within primary industries, it is unlikely that these jobs can be accessed without private transportation.

About The Getting to Work Report

As one of Australia’s largest employment services providers and a leader in employment services, MAX is uniquely placed to gain a greater insight into what impacts a lack of accessible and affordable transportation has on finding, securing, and maintaining employment.

In June and July 2024, MAX distributed surveys to MAX customers in employment services via email and text message.

The survey of 16 to 23 questions received 838 responses and asked about respondents’ access to various transport options, how transport has affected their employment status and their opinions solutions to transport-related barriers.

We also received responses from more than 301 businesses across Australia to a 16-question survey about how transport related infrastructure factors into business location decisions. We also asked for their opinions on the impact transport barriers had on their ability to recruit staff and their solutions to mitigate these impacts.