Dads with two kids spend the most time commuting and they’re also likely to be among the most unhappy with their job, pay and work-life balance.

The latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey shows people are taking longer to get to work than at any point since 2002.

“On average, they had a commuting time of around 3.7 hours per week in 2002, and now we’re up to four and a half hours a week,” Melbourne University’s Dr Inga Lass said.

The report, released on Tuesday, shows people in the mainland capital cities have the longest commutes.

“They spend on average 66 minutes a day travelling to and from work,” Dr Lass said.

“Among this group, it’s the Sydneysiders who have the longest commutes. (They) spend around 71 minutes a day travelling to and from work.”

Dr Lass said the data shows men usually spend longer on commutes than women.

“Fathers with two children are the ones who have longest commutes, but women tend to commute less when they have children,” she said.

Those who spend more than two hours a day commuting are less satisfied with their jobs, and more likely to expect to leave their job within the next 12 months.

“They are also less satisfied with their working hours, with the flexibility to balance work and life, and they’re even less satisfied with their pay,” Dr Lass said.

The HILDA survey has been tracking 17,500 people in 9500 households since 2001, revealing insights about trends in Aussie families.

-AAP