How far would you be prepared to commute to work?

The economy may be on the road to recovery with levels of unemployment not seen since 2008, but nearly one in three (31 per cent) jobseekers would be happy to commute over 20 miles for employment. Astonishingly, of this figure, one in 10 (10 per cent) would travel more than 50 miles for work, according to new research by totaljobs.com.

The findings from a survey of more than 6,000 UK job candidates also reveal that almost a quarter (23 per cent) of employees work from home now, with over half (55 per cent) of workers saying it was part of their job to do so. This suggests Britain’s flexible workforce has now helped transform the country into a flexible economy. More than a third (35 per cent) of home workers cite time and cost savings as key reasons whilst 36 per cent of workers like the opportunity to work outside normal working hours.

Ian Burke, director at totaljobs.com comments: “With the economy on an upward curve, it’s now clear that employers feel confident enough to keep up with evolving working trends by offering flexible work conditions such as the option to work from home. This is a positive development as it suggests employers are exploring employment models that fit with modern lifestyles, and as result will help to attract the best candidates.”

However, when job seekers do decide the time is right to make a move, they’re happy to job hunt wherever they can, with nearly one in six (14 per cent) prepared to search for a new job during work hours.

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Private sector roles are proving more popular, with 88 per cent of workers looking to work with private employers, compared to just over half of (52 per cent) candidates looking in the public sector. Over a quarter of all jobseekers (26 per cent) are open to roles in the not-for-profit sector.

When asked for reasons why they have chosen to work in their selected industries, the top reasons include for the nature of the work (51 per cent) and for the career prospects (40 per cent). Only one in 20 workers said they wanted to work for a specific brand (5 per cent).