For many New Jersey residents, the daily commute is becoming an exhausting extension of the workday, according to a new national study.

A survey of 3,002 drivers conducted by A Mission for Michael found that the drive from Union to Newark ranks as the 11th most burnout‑associated commute in the United States.

The study suggests burnout is increasingly linked not just to work itself, but to the logistical strain surrounding it. Researchers point to stop‑and‑go traffic, unpredictable roadwork and frequent delays as factors that blur the boundary between work and personal time.

In North Jersey, the Union‑to‑Newark commute is described as a fixed cost paid twice a day, often cutting into personal time and leaving commuters feeling rushed in the morning and drained by evening.

Researchers say this type of geographic burnout builds gradually, accumulating through daily stress rather than sudden events.

As commutes stretch longer, the study notes the promise of suburban balance can begin to feel out of reach for drivers stuck in repeated congestion.