Which Cities Get to Work Early (or Late)?

According to new analysis by Nate Silver, New York City might be more aptly described as the city that sleeps in.

1 minute read

April 23, 2014, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Commute

chungking / Shutterstock

Nate Silver used data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey to figure out the median time Americans begin their workday in each metro. The start time refer to the location of work, not residence. 

Among the cities that start their day off later than the average: New York City, San Jose, and San Francisco. Late launching cities tend to have young, creative work forces, college populations, or tourism industries.

The earliest risers include towns like Hinesville, Georgia and Bakersfield, California, are likely to be either military metros or agricultural areas.

In all, trends to look for include, “the majority of highly populous metro areas begin working a little later than the rest of the country” and “the workday schedule is dictated more by the type of work than the location.”

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 in Five Thirty Eight

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