Daylight Saving Time Annoys a Lot of People — But Not If They Work in These 3 Industries That Benefit Most From the Change Some Americans look forward to the change more than others.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- The act that would make daylight saving time permanent failed to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives last year.
- Many Americans are over the twice-a-year shift — but those in certain industries enjoy the benefits.
On Sunday, November 5, at 2 a.m. local time, clocks will go back an hour, giving many (but not all) Americans an additional hour of sleep. That change will remain in effect until March of next year when clocks will go forward — and eliminate the extra hour.
Why? It goes back to the Standard Time Act of 1918 during World War I. The idea was to add more daylight hours to save energy; it also established five time zones across the U.S., USA Today reported. But the change isn't observed everywhere in the U.S., and in many places where it is, some have called for an end to the practice. The shift may not even conserve energy as intended and can increase health risks for heart attacks and strokes, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Last year, the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, but it didn't pass in the U.S. House of Representatives and wasn't signed into law.
Related: 5 Risks You Should Know About Daylight Saving Time | Entrepreneur
But daylight saving time isn't necessarily bad news for all Americans, especially those who work in industries that might benefit from the jump back next month. Business consulting firm Venture Smarter analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine which job sectors are most likely to benefit from the extra hour.
The study examined the number of night shift workers in each industry to pinpoint the professions that stand to gain the most from an extended night shift. "Daylight saving time ending can have both positive and negative effects on night shift workers," a spokesperson for Venture Smarter said, "but the main appeal is an additional hour's pay — at least for the workers who are reimbursed by their employers correctly."
According to the data, employees in the transportation and utilities industry might be celebrating the change, as more than 6% of them (7,357 total) work the night shift. Those in manufacturing came in next with 5.7% on the night shift (16,185 total), followed by those in wholesale and retail trade, with 5.1% on the night shift (18,030 total).
Related: How Daylight Saving Time Affects Productivity | Entrepreneur
And the workers who might be least excited for daylight saving time? That would be those in the information sector, with just .3% of workers on the night shift (2,685 total), per the study.
