Understanding and including ‘pink-collar’ workers in employment-based travel demand models

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new way to classify commuters, including 'pink-collar' workers, to improve transport models and better predict travel behavior.

Contribution

The paper proposes a data-driven clustering approach to identify commuter types, including a distinct 'pink-collar' segment.

Findings

Using unsupervised clustering, eight distinct commuter types were identified from survey data.

A three-cluster segmentation revealed a 'pink collar' group dominated by female clerical and service workers with shorter commutes.

The method improves transport models by capturing nuanced travel behaviors across different worker types.

Abstract

The segmentation of commuters into either blue or white-collar workers remains is still common in urban transport models. Internationally, models have started to use more elaborate segmentations, more reflective of changes in labour markets, such as increased female participation. Finding appropriate labour market segmentations for commute trip modelling remains a challenge. This paper harnesses a data-driven approach using unsupervised clustering–applied to 2017–20 South East Queensland Travel Survey (SEQTS) data. Commuter types are grouped by occupational, industry, and socio-demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, household size, household vehicle ownership and worker skill score). The results show that at a large number of clusters (i.e., k = 8) a highly distinct set of commuter types can be observed. But model run times tend to require a much smaller number of market segments. When only three clusters are formed (k = 3) a market segmentation emerges with one female-dominated type (‘pink collar’), one male-dominated type (‘blue collar’) and one with both genders almost equally involved (‘white collar’). There are nuances as to which workers are included in each segment, and differences in travel behaviours across the three types. ‘Pink collar’ workers are mostly comprised of female clerical and administrative workers, community and personal service workers and sales workers. They have the shortest median commutes for both private motorised and active transport modes. The approach and methods should assist transport planners to derive more accurate and robust market segmentations for use in large urban transport models, and, better predict the value of alternative transport projects and policies for all types of commuters.

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