Twenty-eight percent of Los Angeles-area professional office workers have quit a job at some point in their lives because of long commutes, according to a survey released Sept. 25 from San Francisco-based professional staffing firm Robert Half International.

While higher than the national average of 23 percent, L.A.’s percentage of workers who had quit their jobs because of long commutes is significantly lower than Chicago (42 percent), Miami and New York (38 percent) and San Francisco (33 percent).

And the survey showed that 58 percent of Los Angeles-area office workers said their commutes had improved over the past five years. Only 22 percent said their commutes worsened and 20 percent said their commute time remained unchanged over the five years.

The survey did not indicate whether the improvements in commutes was due to workers changing jobs or moving their residences to shorten their commutes or whether it was due to enhancements in local roads, highways and public transit.

Among those professionals who said their commute had worsened, 55 percent said their companies had not taken any action to shorten their commutes, 27 percent said their companies offered flexible hours or the option to work from home, and 36 percent said their companies paid for public transit or parking.

Economy, education, energy and transportation reporter Howard Fine can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @howardafine.