• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceDaylight Saving Time

How Daylight Saving Time Affects Your Wallet

By
Kaitlin Mulhere
Kaitlin Mulhere
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kaitlin Mulhere
Kaitlin Mulhere
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 4, 2016, 4:54 PM ET
A man holds a wallet, filled with a one dollar bill.
A man holds a wallet, filled with a one dollar bill.Photograph by Thomas Trutschel—Photothek via Getty Images

This article originally appeared on money.com.

The biannual time shift coming this weekend means you’ll soon be leaving for work in the dark and grumbling about how your sleep cycle is thrown out of whack. But there’s another big area of your life you likely didn’t realize was affected by daylight saving time: your wallet.

A new study out from JPMorgan Chase Institute found that the switch back to standard time is associated with a drop in spending between 2.2% and 4.9%, depending on where you live.

Daylight saving time starts in the spring when clocks are pushed forward an hour and ends in the fall when clock are set back to standard time. The policy affects over 300 million Americans. One of the supposed advantages of the policy is that the extra hour of sunlight encourages Americans to stay out and spend money, giving a boost to small businesses and the economy in general.

To test that theory, J.P. Morgan compared spending in two cities—Los Angeles and Phoenix—in the 30 days before and after the start of DST in March, and 30 days before and after the end of DST in November. Los Angeles has an additional hour of post-work sunlight while Phoenix, which doesn’t follow DST, remains unchanged.

Read more: Why We Need Daylight Saving Time Year Round

“If the extra hour induces additional spending, we would expect to see an increase in local commerce in Los Angeles relative to local commerce in Phoenix,” the study’s authors write. “In November, the opposite should happen.”

But that’s not what happens. Researchers found that while there is an slight increase in spending in the spring, the corresponding drop in the fall is larger.

 

The analysis found the time switch is associated with a 0.9% increase in daily card spending per capita in Los Angeles at the beginning of DST, but a reduction in daily card spending per capita of 3.5% at the end of DST. Daily card spending drops significantly more during the week in Los Angeles than during the weekend. Supermarkets are the most affected category covered in the study, losing almost 6% of daily retail per capita spent at the end of DST.

Because the magnitude of the drop in spending in November outweighs increased spending at the beginning of DST, that calls into question whether the policy is actually a booster to the economy.

J.P. Morgan researchers also found that the spending effects varied depending on geography. In San Diego, for example, the authors found a relative increase of 2.9% at the beginning of DST and a relative decrease of 2.2% at the end of DST. In Denver, the switch was associated relative increase at the start of DST was 0.8%, while the relative decrease at the end was 4.9%.

About the Authors
By Kaitlin Mulhere
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

trump
Economynational debt
Trump wants to add nearly $7 trillion to the $39 trillion national debt with his new military budget, watchdog warns
By Nick LichtenbergApril 2, 2026
1 hour ago
paul krugman
EconomyIran
Paul Krugman smacks down Trump speech with argument that $4 gas is ‘less than half’ of the Hormuz hit. Here’s what he’s talking about
By Jake AngeloApril 2, 2026
2 hours ago
picture of the word "solana"
CryptoCryptocurrency
Latest crypto hack sees thieves make off with $280 million from Solana DeFi platform Drift
By Carlos GarciaApril 2, 2026
3 hours ago
kroenke
CommentarySoccer
Why American billionaires are abandoning Wall Street for English soccer clubs
By Andrés MartinezApril 2, 2026
4 hours ago
Workers on the production line of solar panels in China
EnergyRenewables
After renewable power’s record-smashing 2025, the Iran war could accelerate the shift as countries seek ‘structurally more resilient’ energy, UN says
By Tristan BoveApril 2, 2026
4 hours ago
Traders signal offers in the S&P options trading pit at the Cboe Global Markets exchange on March 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
EnergyIran
Markets rally hard on Iran’s promise to play nice in Hormuz as its leaders pocket billions from the disruption
By Eva RoytburgApril 2, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
Real Estate
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
15 hours ago
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
Economy
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.