Posted by: Richie Bernardo

For many of us, hard work remains the path to achieving the American Dream. We work so hard, in fact, that we put in more hours at our jobs than several other industrialized countries such as Germany, Japan and the U.K.

But some U.S. cities represent the strong work ethic that helped to build the world’s biggest economy better than others. In order to determine which cities outwork the rest of America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 116 largest cities across six key metrics. Our data set ranges from “labor-force participation rate” to “average weekly work hours” to “share of workers with multiple jobs.” Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Labor Force Participation Over Time
3. Ask the Experts
4. Methodology

Main Findings

  Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/10424/geochart-hardwork1.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2m7rg2B;        

Hardest-Working Cities in America

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	‘Direct Work Factors’ Rank	‘Indirect Work Factors’ Rank
1	Anchorage, AK	90.76	1	1
2	Plano, TX	81.49	2	42
3	Cheyenne, WY	81.17	3	86
4	Virginia Beach, VA	79.91	6	55
5	Irving, TX	79.71	4	53
6	Scottsdale, AZ	77.85	5	62
7	San Francisco, CA	77.82	8	25
8	Corpus Christi, TX	76.50	7	97
9	Washington, DC	75.56	9	34
10	Sioux Falls, SD	73.12	12	46
11	Denver, CO	72.87	15	28
12	Dallas, TX	72.79	13	42
13	Charlotte, NC	72.35	10	70
14	Gilbert, AZ	72.30	14	40
15	Jersey City, NJ	72.18	21	7
16	Fort Worth, TX	71.53	16	39
17	Austin, TX	70.91	18	76
18	Houston, TX	70.90	11	89
19	Chandler, AZ	70.77	17	57
20	Garland, TX	70.67	20	35
21	Oklahoma City, OK	70.47	19	85
22	Norfolk, VA	69.94	24	60
23	Aurora, CO	69.58	27	14
24	Arlington, TX	69.44	23	37
25	Tulsa, OK	68.51	22	95
26	Chesapeake, VA	68.43	30	44
27	Kansas City, MO	68.08	31	26
28	Seattle, WA	68.06	32	18
29	New York, NY	68.01	37	3
30	Billings, MT	67.68	29	66
31	Orlando, FL	67.21	26	100
32	Omaha, NE	67.17	44	6
33	Portland, ME	66.96	39	8
34	Nashville, TN	66.56	28	64
35	Fargo, ND	66.50	42	13
36	Charleston, WV	66.09	25	115
37	Raleigh, NC	65.91	34	68
38	Honolulu, HI	65.85	41	21
39	Colorado Springs, CO	65.49	43	47
40	Durham, NC	65.28	35	71
41	Des Moines, IA	64.97	48	19
42	Wichita, KS	64.67	47	30
43	Manchester, NH	64.07	45	75
44	San Antonio, TX	63.55	46	74
45	Chicago, IL	63.27	49	32
46	Jacksonville, FL	63.08	40	103
47	Atlanta, GA	62.62	38	83
48	Tampa, FL	62.58	50	45
49	Henderson, NV	62.22	33	112
50	San Diego, CA	62.01	58	20
51	Phoenix, AZ	61.87	51	52
52	Fremont, CA	61.79	59	24
53	Bakersfield, CA	61.49	52	84
54	Columbus, OH	61.47	56	61
55	El Paso, TX	60.85	53	82
56	St. Petersburg, FL	60.79	57	49
57	Little Rock, AR	60.53	36	116
58	Indianapolis, IN	59.61	55	79
59	Salt Lake City, UT	59.52	79	2
60	Lincoln, NE	59.48	66	16
61	San Jose, CA	59.38	63	27
62	St. Louis, MO	59.10	65	22
63	Baltimore, MD	58.77	64	36
64	Miami, FL	58.10	54	106
65	Minneapolis, MN	58.02	81	5
66	Wilmington, DE	57.96	69	31
67	New Orleans, LA	57.79	62	87
68	Irvine, CA	57.41	61	94
69	Louisville, KY	57.37	60	98
70	Mesa, AZ	56.83	71	50
71	Fort Wayne, IN	56.74	67	77
72	Boston, MA	56.53	83	15
73	Boise, ID	56.45	72	51
74	Glendale, AZ	56.20	77	41
75	Laredo, TX	56.07	70	88
76	Greensboro, NC	55.57	74	78
77	Winston-Salem, NC	55.40	75	81
78	Anaheim, CA	55.34	68	80
79	Lexington-Fayette, KY	55.07	73	92
80	Chula Vista, CA	54.65	90	12
81	Albuquerque, NM	54.62	80	56
82	Portland, OR	54.54	92	9
83	Reno, NV	53.67	78	105
84	Long Beach, CA	53.23	84	73
85	Oakland, CA	53.12	91	29
86	Las Vegas, NV	52.79	76	107
87	Los Angeles, CA	52.49	86	69
88	Newark, NJ	52.47	95	10
89	St. Paul, MN	52.08	97	4
90	Memphis, TN	52.04	87	96
91	Philadelphia, PA	51.98	93	17
92	North Las Vegas, NV	51.80	82	104
93	Lubbock, TX	51.74	85	110
94	Birmingham, AL	50.73	88	108
95	Jackson, MS	50.24	89	109
96	Sacramento, CA	49.41	94	72
97	Milwaukee, WI	47.88	104	11
98	Bridgeport, CT	47.81	103	23
99	Madison, WI	47.61	102	54
100	Pittsburgh, PA	47.59	98	59
101	Cincinnati, OH	46.69	101	65
102	Baton Rouge, LA	45.93	100	99
103	Santa Ana, CA	45.58	99	93
104	Hialeah, FL	45.50	96	113
105	Riverside, CA	45.17	107	33
106	Stockton, CA	44.58	105	63
107	Toledo, OH	44.07	106	67
108	Fresno, CA	41.25	108	90
109	Cleveland, OH	41.08	109	58
110	Tucson, AZ	39.08	110	102
111	Columbia, SC	34.80	111	114
112	Buffalo, NY	34.40	112	111
113	Providence, RI	33.04	113	91
114	San Bernardino, CA	32.90	114	38
115	Detroit, MI	28.76	115	101
116	Burlington, VT	17.89	116	48

 

Labor Force Participation Over Time

Note: Each state is colored based on the labor-force participation rate of its largest city.   Embed on your website<a href="http://ift.tt/2mGgtsU; <img src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/images/posts/10812/animation-new2.gif" width="700" height="575" alt="animation new2" /> </a> <div style="width:700px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2m7rg2B;

   

Ask the Experts

The American work structure contrasts with that of other countries. For additional insight, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Research shows that Americans work 25% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more?
2. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? Does this vary by industry or job type?
3. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week?
4. In evaluating the hardest working cities, what are the top five indicators?
5. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers?

< >

• Michael H. LeRoy Professor in the School of Labor & Employment Relations & College of Law at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Loukas Karabarbounis Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy Scholar at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
• William R. Kerr MBA Class of 1975 Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at Harvard Business School
• Gerald Friedman Professor of Economics at University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• John Logan Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University
• Kerri L. Stone Professor of Law at Florida International University College of Law
• Seth H. Giertz Associate Professor of Economics at University of Texas at Dallas
• Pierre André Chiappori E. Rowan and Barbara Steinschneider Professor of Economics at Columbia University
• Mehmet Fuat Sener Professor of Economics at Union College

Michael H. LeRoy Professor in the School of Labor & Employment Relations & College of Law at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? Americans work more hours because the core features of the employment relationship are eroding. Studies by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 10.5 million Americans fall in the “working poor” category, meaning they earn too little to be above the poverty line. So much goes into this, but leading factors are employer cutbacks in hours due to the Affordable Care Act, the longstanding and widespread decline of labor unions that once bargained premium wages and overtime, wage thefts by employers, and the shifting of jobs from employment to independent contracting — jobs such as home health care nurses, cable installers, security guards, rideshare drivers and many more. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? Not at all. From 2007-2015, worker productivity has grown an average of 1.2 percent per year. It’s the lowest growth rate since 1979-1990. There are many reasons; but one central explanation is that the economy has lost 5.5 million middle-skill jobs in the past decade. These are typically manufacturing jobs that take some degree of mechanical aptitude and training. When people lose these jobs, they have trouble getting new work; and when they find a job, it’s more dumbed-down, such as clerking at a store, driving a car for Uber, or the like. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? Worker productivity falls after 50 hours a week. When a worker exceeds 55 hours a week, he or she produces about the same as someone who works 70 hours a week, according to a recent Stanford study. In other words, when fatigue is reached, nothing is accomplished — only time accumulates, not productivity. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? Both political parties have good ideas for this. Republicans are right when they advocate lower employer tax burdens so that more quality jobs — and more continuous hours — are offered to workers. Democrats are right when they say that minimum wages are too low, resulting in millions of workers who supplement their meager earnings with food stamps. Raise the minimum wage in a series of annual increments. This will tend to cut down on the need for people to have multiple jobs; and will bring more employment into the sweet spot for 40-50 hours of work at higher levels of productivity. Loukas Karabarbounis Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy Scholar at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? Three proximate causes: (i) taxes on labor income are lower in the U.S.; (ii) value of non-market time is higher in Europe where family ties are stronger; (iii) regulation of hours worked is more stringent in Europe. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? No. How have worker hours or productivity changed during the recession and recovery? Hours per worker declined during the recession and now have recovered to the pre-recession levels. Total hours declined significantly during the recession and have not recovered yet to the pre-recession levels. Measured labor productivity declined for a short period of time during the recession and since then has increased at a relatively slow rate. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? For some people clearly zero, for others much more. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? The government should lower labor income taxes. Depending on the nature of work, firms can offer to employees the choice to telecommute more and base a larger fraction of compensation on performance. William R. Kerr MBA Class of 1975 Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at Harvard Business School Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? The difference in hours worked between America and Europe is due to many factors. First, the returns from greater effort are higher in the United States. In most professions, top earners in the United States make substantially more than European counterparts, which increases incentives to work hard to move up the rank. The United States’ marginal tax rates on this income are also lower in Europe, which reinforces the differential. Legal limitations towards work and collective bargaining over wages are also much stronger in Europe. Beyond these, culture in America directs attention to work. America can be hyper-competitive in settings like Manhattan or Silicon Valley, which can be quite addictive. European nations have also adopted stronger norms towards taking certain months off from work (e.g., July in Finland, August in France). This does not happen in the United States, where often workers instead are just given a couple weeks of vacation. All of this adds up to large differences in hours of effort, and the economic and business systems on both continents have been molded to be broadly consistent with the choices made. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? No. First, productivity can be defined as output per hour worked. In this case, it is easy to see why more hours could in fact lower realized productivity. If instead defining productivity as output per worker or person, you more likely enter a situation where additional effort does not detract from the total output generated, but it might also not add that much either. In this case, workers would be better off spending time on other pursuits and resting, given their low productivity on the job. Are some workers or workers in some industries more prone to working long hours without producing much more output? Some jobs are much more intense than others, either on mental or physical dimensions. These are the jobs where diminishing productivity sets in fast, and workers can’t keep the pace for super long hours. In mental-intensive occupations, workers begin to make mistakes as they fatigue. By contrast, more routine work, even if requires specialized knowledge, won’t face as severe a trade-off because the worker is applying standard rhythms. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? This falls into the domain of individual choice. One person may value money and work-generated prestige highly and be willing to spend 100 hours per week in pursuit. Another may value family time and personal interests, and work is mainly to pay the needed bills. At one job, my new boss inquired if I “worked to live or lived to work”. The world is not so black and white, but each individual needs to answer that question for themselves. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? I won’t even attempt to do justice to such a big question! Instead, I report one big entry on my list—better pre-K childcare access for working adults with children. Many parents of young kids struggle to make the ends meet, taking on multiple hard jobs. This already pulls them away from their children, but the situation can be further negatively compounded if children are subject to inadequate care. A huge chunk of research now shows how pivotal these early years are for long-term success, academically and in the labor market. We should invest in these children as they are our future; for today’s parents, this will also provide a huge boost for quality of work life and peace of mind. Gerald Friedman Professor of Economics at University of Massachusetts at Amherst Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? This is a development since the 1970s. We work more to make up for declining wages, because there is more competition for jobs so people try to appear harder working, because lax regulation has undermined the Fair Labor Standards Act and overtime regulations, and because the US has fewer mandated holidays. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? Absolutely not. I think that in many cases, productivity falls because workers are stressed, come to work sick, and are preoccupied with the home responsibilities that they are neglecting while working late. How have worker hours or productivity changed during the recession and recovery? Productivity and work hours both tend to be pro-cyclical, falling early in the recession and rising in the recovery. These effects were somewhat weaker in this recovery because businesses laid off so many workers right away. Are some workers or workers in some industries more prone to working long hours without producing much more output? Creative workers tend to overwork because their extra work does little for their productivity. In that sense, I think that many professional workers (lawyers and academics) overwork -- that is, work more without increasing output. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? More mandated vacations and real overtime pay! And stronger unions, faster economic growth, and full employment to give workers more bargaining power. John Logan Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? Americans work more hours because average hours in Europe have fallen in recent decades, while in the US they have not (it's important to note that half a century ago, workers in several European countries had longer hours than US workers). Hours have declined in Europe largely because labor movements and social democratic parties have championed the cause of shorter hours. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? No -- in fact, sometimes the opposite is true. It’s not the number of hours you put in that matter most, it's what you put in to your hours -- i.e., what's most important is productivity per hour. Americans are among the most productive workers in the world, but that's not surprising given their high number of hours. They also do pretty well when measuring productivity per hour, but they are not at the top on this scale. How have worker hours or productivity changed during the recession and recovery? Several European countries tried to avoid mass layoffs by reducing workers' hours, especially in the initial years of the recession, whereas US companies were more likely to respond by laying off staff. That’s partly because it's more difficult to hire and fire in some European countries (and much easier to do so in the U.S., where most employees are "at will" employees) but also because of cultural/ideological differences. Are some workers or workers in some industries more prone to working long hours without producing much more output? Yes, but beyond a certain limit, more hours are counterproductive for almost all workers. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? That’s partly a question of policy preference. Northern European workers and (most) politicians would likely argue that the ideal number is much lower than the figure that is commonly accepted in the US. A major policy difference, of course, is the lack of any statutory right to paid vacation time in the US. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? Paid vacation time, paid parental leave and paid sick leave -- most countries in the world have some provision for all of these, not just other advanced democracies. The US is really an outlier in this respect. Kerri L. Stone Professor of Law at Florida International University College of Law Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? The idea of the "American work ethic" is a double-edged sword. On one hand, this notion is steeped in the American tradition of hard work, few if any vacations, a minimum of a forty hour work week, and at least an eight hour work day -- consistent, hard work. It would be virtually unthinkable for all but the smallest businesses to close up shop and have everyone take off for many days or weeks at a time. On the other hand, we lose a lot of the flexibility that Europeans afford themselves on a regular basis. It is not unusual, however to find European employers, businesses, and other entities that do not follow suit. A quick perusal of travel websites, for example, turns up much amusement and bewilderment over the often-repeated, and only somewhat facetious refrain, "Italy is closed for the month of August." The European mentality appears to be one that values taking time to recharge. This may stem from the philosophical differences between the U.S. and Europe when it comes to employment. It is not unusual in Europe to find legal systems in which one's job is considered one's property, and one cannot be stripped of one's job without good cause. Labor movements in Europe often have excellent traction, and strikes and other employment-based protests are fairly common. Contrast that with our system, in which employment is predominantly at-will, and one serves at the pleasure of his or her employer. Labor unions have declined in membership and power in recent decades, as well. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? Not necessarily. Several studies have found that just the opposite is true. Often, an infusion of rest or another distraction into the workplace is exactly what a worker needs to stay recharged and focused. Fatigue, resentment, and just plain boredom can stifle energy, innovation, and productivity. Companies that have taken the lead in combating these forces with an emphasis on quality of life that may result in more breaks, pleasant spaces in which to recharge at work, opportunities for exercise, massage, or some other healthful activity, or flexible hours, paid maternity leave, etc., often claim to have seen an uptick in things like loyalty, productivity, and innovation in the workplace. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? As we've seen, improving workers' quality of life often corresponds with improving employers' workplace environments, output, and morale, so efforts and policies centered around quality of life are increasingly important. Although the FMLA guarantees employees who work for qualifying employers twelve weeks of family or medical leave once certain conditions have been met, this is a floor and not a ceiling. Longer and/or paid leave is an offering that helps employers attract and retain talented employees. Laws like the affordable Care Act and local laws dictate that certain accommodations be made for mothers who wish to express milk in the workplace, but these opportunities, again, can always be expanded upon by local employers. Childcare assistance and provisions are always something that helps an employee to be more present at work, both physically and mentally, because they don't need to worry about affording or otherwise accessing off-site care, and they don't need to make alternate arrangement when that care falls through. Finally, although the law does not require employers to have civility or anti-bullying policies in the workplace, employers who voluntarily undertake to implement them appear to be amplifying morale, loyalty, and productivity, among other things like public relations. Seth H. Giertz Associate Professor of Economics at University of Texas at Dallas Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? There are several reasons why Americans work more hours than Europeans.

1. One, often cited, is taxes. European's, in general, have much higher tax rates on labor than in America. This encourages Europeans to shift towards leisure or non-market activities.
2. Europeans generally have stronger labor regulations and labor unions. This may restrict hours of work and may make it more difficult for some to find work.
3. Divorce rates have increased more in the US than in Europe. More female-headed households have likely contributed to increased work by women in the US (relative to Europe).
4. Other possible contributors include other cultural differences and differences in social policy (including programs for low-income and disability programs).

Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? No. In many cases, working more hours translates into lower productivity per worker (or per hour worked). It is disproportionately lower-skilled or lower-productivity workers that are more likely to scale back their work hours or to exit the labor market altogether. Likewise, high-productivity workers who scale back their hours are likely to reallocate the time that they do spend working towards their highest productivity tasks. Thus, sometimes countries where workers work less also have higher productivity. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? The ideal number of hours to work per week is what a person would choose to work, given his or her market wage rate, and absent market distortions that would alter this wage rate. That is, work choices should be dictated by individual preferences and the willingness of firms to pay individuals for their services. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? Government policies, such as high taxes or burdensome regulations, can be very harmful to the economy. Taxes are needed to fund government and many regulations serve important purposes. However, the quality of life for American workers could be improved by reforming our tax and regulatory system, which is unwieldy, and, in many respects, counterproductive. Pierre André Chiappori E. Rowan and Barbara Steinschneider Professor of Economics at Columbia University Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? Various explanations have been proposed. According to some, it's mostly due to the respective tax-benefit systems (and the regulations governing the labor market). For others, it’s mostly a matter of preferences. My opinion: probably both, but it’s certainly true that in the trade-off between leisure and consumption, Europeans put more weight on leisure than US people. It is important to note, however, that there are huge differences between European countries. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? Absolutely not. Productivity per hour is higher in France, for instance, although this is due to multiple phenomena (to name just one: unskilled/low productivity workers are much more likely to be unemployed in Europe, particularly Southern Europe, than in the US). That said, production per worker is higher in the US, although it’s devilishly difficult to measure precisely (it depends on the type of production or service, the level of capital, etc.). Mehmet Fuat Sener Professor of Economics at Union College Research shows that Americans work 20% more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why do Americans work so much more? Some research points to higher marginal tax rates and lower divorce rates in Europe as the main culprits. It seems to me that individual preferences and their interactions with the institutions can also play a role. Economic theory suggests that as incomes rise, demand for leisure is likely to increase since leisure is a normal good. In both Europe and the US, income per capita levels have roughly doubled in the past 40 years. In Europe, where unions are strong and labor market institutions are more centralized, the demand for leisure can be more pronounced in the salary and benefit negotiations. In the US, where the markets are more decentralized, workers’ demands can be relatively muted. This is because US employers may find it more convenient to attract/retain workers by signaling higher salaries as opposed to lower work hours. Does working more hours always translate into higher productivity? From a theoretical viewpoint, one can argue that the effects of more hours on productivity depend on ability levels. For an individual with a high level of innate ability, more hours clearly imply more productivity. To see this, consider a well-established economics professor in a top research university. This professor can write textbooks, maintain a blog, give highly-paid speeches etc. Clearly, such activities add tremendous value to the income of the professor and definitely require longer hours. Especially, individuals who are a part of the superstar economy would see longer work hours translate into higher productivity. For individuals with lower ability levels, on the other hand, it is hard to envision such increasing returns from extra work hours. These individuals are more likely to engage in manual tasks and have limited opportunities to accumulate human capital and reap additional rewards. From an empirical point of view, it is hard to distinguish the effects of work hours on productivity from the effects of ability on productivity. People with higher ability levels are motivated to work longer hours since there are increasing returns to their overtime work. Thus, higher ability leads to longer hours, and, by construction, higher ability implies higher productivity. As a result, one might observe a strong positive correlation between work hours and productivity. However, this does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. The issue can be resolved by controlling the ability levels across individuals. Nonetheless, ability levels are imperfectly measured, making it a challenge to tease out the effects of longer hours on productivity. Are some workers or workers in some industries more prone to working long hours without producing much more output? I think that it would be better to answer this question by thinking about jobs and not in terms of industries. In general, individuals who are working at jobs that provide limited opportunities for human capital accumulation are less likely to register a productivity gain by working longer hours. Consider a barista who starts working at Starbucks. The returns to his hours are pretty high during the first week at work due to gains from specialization. Learning the tricks of making cappuccinos should probably take no more than a week. Once the returns from specialization are exhausted, longer hours imply more cappuccinos but not more cappuccinos per hour. What is the ideal numbers of hours to work per week? In my view, the number of work hours should be no more than 30 per week. It is true that the average hours of work has gone down steadily in the 20th century but recently there has been a levelling off in that trend. So what can we do? I cannot foresee a reduction in work hours being easily negotiated, given the existing rigid political and bureaucratic structure. However, I can envision a reduction in the number of work days as a more reasonable starting point. The number of off-days and their distribution over the week seem to be determined by historical events and religious traditions rather than by coordinated discussions at the national or global level. It may be time to tackle this issue. Two off-days during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and an off-day in midweek (Wednesday) could be the optimal schedule for many of us. The weekend can be used to engage in focused leisurely activities and a midweek break gives an opportunity to recharge the batteries. Two-day weekends have been with us for more than a century now. There is no reason as to why we cannot increase the number of off-days to three. This may require a global coordination, but striking a deal to reduce work days could be less of a challenge than agreeing on reducing CO2 emissions. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers? Higher minimum wages and reduced work days by the government, and more transparency in terms of salaries and treatment of workers by the firms.

Methodology

In order to determine where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub’s analysts compared 116 of the most populated cities across two key dimensions, namely “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.”

We evaluated those dimensions using six key metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “hardest-working.” Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.

We then calculated the overall score for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

For our sample, we ensured that at least one city from each of the 50 states was represented. Each city refers to city proper and excludes the surrounding metro area.

Direct Work Factors – Total Points: 80

• Average Workweek Hours: Triple Weight (60 Points)
• Labor-Force Participation Rate: Full Weight (20 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Civilian Population Aged 16 to 64 in Labor Force / Total Civilian Population Aged 16 to 64.

Indirect Work Factors – Total Points: 20

• Average Commute Time: Half Weight (5 Points)
• Share of Workers with Multiple Jobs*: Half Weight (5 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as a percentage of total employment.
• Annual Volunteer Hours per Resident: Half Weight (5 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day*: Half Weight (5 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Corporation for National and Community Service.

from Wallet HubWallet Hub


via Finance Xpress