The classic American workday is undergoing a significant transformation, with the traditional 9-to-5 morphing into a 10-to-4 schedule, according to a new study.

The change has introduced a “midday rush hour,” with nearly the same number of trips made to and from the office at noon as during the conventional rush hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m, according to the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard released this week by a traffic-data analysis firm, INRIX Inc.

“There is less of a morning commute, less of an evening commute, and much more afternoon activity,” a transportation analyst and author of the report, Bob Pishue, told CNBC. “This is more of the new normal.”

Another significant finding from the report is the decline in public transportation usage. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data show that ridership plummeted during the pandemic and has not rebounded. The consequence? Increased traffic congestion during peak midday and evening hours, Mr. Pishue said.

“Pre-Covid, the morning rush hour would be a peak and then the evening peak would be much larger,” he said. “Now, there is no valley.”

Flexibility in work-from-home arrangements has also altered commuting habits. Employees may come to the office only when absolutely necessary, leading to sporadic attendance. Employee burnout and declining workplace engagement compound the issue.

A 2023 Gallup poll found that only one-third of full- and part-time employees feel engaged at work, while roughly 50 percent are not engaged, leading to a rise in “quiet quitting.” Another 16 percent are actively disengaged, the poll found.