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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Who wastes more time waiting? Income plays a part

The difference between wait times for higher- and lower-income people in the United States is subtle, but it adds up.
Silhouettes of people standing in a queue outside a shop at night.

In the United States, people who are on the lowest incomes spend more time waiting for services on an average day than the wealthiest people. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty

Six hours per year. That’s how much more time people with low incomes in the United States spend waiting for basic services, such as seeing a doctor or getting a haircut, compared to those of higher incomes1.

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Nature 614, 597 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00372-y

References

  1. Holt, S. B. & Vinopal, K. Nature Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01524-w (2023).

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