Identification of 'wasteful commuting' using search theory

Konferenzbeitrag

In this paper, we employ search theory as a micro-economic foundation for the wasteful commuting hypothesis. In the empirical analysis, the extent of the 'wasteful commuting' is identified by comparing the commute of employees and self-employed individuals who do not work from home. It is argued that the commute of the self-employed is the result of a search process for vacant workplaces, whereas employees search for vacant jobs. Because the arrival rate of workplaces exceeds the arrival rate of jobs, the self-employed have a shorter commute. We find that 35% of the commuting time may be considered 'wasteful' and reject alternative hypotheses why the self-employed have a shorter commute.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: 45th Congress of the European Regional Science Association: "Land Use and Water Management in a Sustainable Network Society", 23-27 August 2005, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Van Ommeren, Jos ; Van der Straaten, J. Willemijn
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): European Regional Science Association (ERSA)
• (where): Louvain-la-Neuve
• (when): 2005

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/117565
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET