What are hardest-working states in the US?

WalletHub compares 10 key indicators to identify which states work the hardest

BY Mark Rosanes 04 Sep 2020

North Dakotans are known for their toughness and diligence. So, it is not surprising that the Roughrider State came out on top of this year’s list of the hardest-working US states by personal finance website WalletHub. However, the survey didn’t just focus on the how hard employees in each state work, it also looks at other indicators that show employees are more dedicated, such as travel time, hours worked per week, and number of jobs held. Each category was given a metric based on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 being hardest-working.

North Dakota has earned the title for the second year in a row, tallying a total score of 72.85. The state ranked first in terms of employment rate, second in weekly work hours, and eighth in share of workers with multiple jobs. It also has the lowest youth idle rate among all states, which is a positive sign given that the 15- to 24-year-old bracket has borne the brunt of the coronavirus-fueled economic recession.

Alaska, which finished second in the list with a score of 65.14, topped the rankings in hours worked per week at 42. The number is 14% longer than that of last place Utah, which logged an average of 37 hours. However, spending too much time at work has its downsides and may cause detrimental effects to one’s health. Experts still believe maintaining a good work-life balance is key to better productivity.

In terms of commute, workers in New York spent time the longest at 33 minutes, almost twice as long as it took South Dakotans to get to work. This extra commute time can have a severe impact on employee engagement. In fact, it’s been noted in other countries that a significant commute time can kill productivity at work. So, are New Yorkers really harder working, or do they just spend more time getting there?

South Dakota, which just missed the top 10, grabbed the top spot in terms of share of workers holding multiple jobs at 8.2%. The figure is 2.3 times higher than New Mexico, the state with the lowest at 3.6%. It is worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected the ability of many workers to maintain their jobs. However, the job market is not entirely stale, with several industries offering lucrative opportunities.

Here’s a brief summary of WalletHub’s 2020 report on the hardest-working states in America.