Posted by: Adam McCann

Americans are hard workers, putting in an average of 1,783 hours per year, according to the World Economic Forum. That’s about 300 hours per year more than Germans work, but about 450 less than Mexicans do.

Even when given the chance to not work as hard, many Americans won’t. In fact, 52% of Americans didn’t use all of their available vacation days in 2017. However, while it may seem as if workers are happily pursuing the American Dream, many individuals’ reasons for working hard may not be so pleasant. Some fear that if they take time off they will look less dedicated to the job than other employees, risking a layoff. Others worry about falling behind on their work or worry that the normal workflow will not be able to function without them.

It is possible to work hard without overdoing it, though. Hard work is key to success, and the people of some states understand that better than others. To determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 10 key indicators. They range from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident. Read on for the results, insight from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

 

Hardest-Working States in the U.S.

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	‘Direct Work Factors’ Rank	‘Indirect Work Factors’ Rank
1	Alaska	68.54	2	4
2	North Dakota	66.19	1	38
3	Wyoming	61.73	3	26
4	South Dakota	61.41	4	13
5	Nebraska	60.97	5	12
6	New Hampshire	58.03	7	3
7	Texas	57.34	6	32
8	Colorado	54.98	8	15
9	Virginia	54.62	12	8
10	Kansas	53.97	9	21
11	Oklahoma	53.72	10	22
12	Maryland	52.51	13	7
13	Hawaii	51.29	11	34
14	Iowa	50.89	14	17
15	Vermont	48.77	24	2
16	Idaho	47.70	16	23
17	Minnesota	47.53	18	9
18	Louisiana	45.41	15	43
19	Wisconsin	45.12	28	5
20	Utah	45.06	35	1
21	Georgia	44.69	17	39
22	Delaware	42.99	31	11
23	Tennessee	42.81	19	42
24	Indiana	42.71	21	37
25	New Jersey	42.67	30	14
26	Maine	42.66	36	6
27	Montana	42.30	23	36
28	South Carolina	41.79	25	35
29	North Carolina	41.46	27	30
30	New York	40.68	40	10
31	Missouri	40.60	26	40
32	Mississippi	40.55	22	46
33	Arkansas	40.50	20	49
34	California	40.42	33	28
35	Massachusetts	39.57	39	24
36	Connecticut	39.36	41	18
37	Illinois	39.34	38	27
38	Washington	39.08	43	16
39	Florida	38.34	32	41
40	Arizona	38.32	42	25
41	Alabama	38.25	29	44
42	Pennsylvania	36.69	44	19
43	Kentucky	36.24	34	47
44	Nevada	34.92	37	50
45	Ohio	34.03	45	31
46	Oregon	32.53	50	20
47	New Mexico	31.89	48	29
48	West Virginia	30.94	47	33
49	Rhode Island	29.34	46	48
50	Michigan	28.94	49	45

*1=Hardest Working

 

Ask the Experts

The hard work ethic of Americans has brought about the creation of many successful businesses. But overworking can take a harsh toll on workers. For additional insight on both productivity and the condition of workers, 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, and is it worth it?
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. What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers?

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• Joseph Grant Professor of Law, Florida A&M University
• Kent Jones Professor of Economics, Babson College
• James Lake Assistant Professor, Economics Department, Southern Methodist University
• Andrei Korobkov Professor, Middle Tennessee State University

Methodology

In order to determine where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions: “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.”

We evaluated those dimensions using ten 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.”

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Direct Work Factors – Total Points: 80

• Average Workweek Hours: Triple Weight (~36.92 Points)
• Employment Rate: Full Weight (~12.31 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Civilian Population Aged 16 Years and Over Employed / Total Civilian Population Aged 16 Years and Over in Labor Force.
• Share of Households where No Adults Work: Full Weight (~12.31 Points)
• Share of Workers Leaving Vacation Time Unused: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)
• Share of Engaged Workers: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)Note: This metric measures the share of employees who are “involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace,” as defined by Gallup.
• Idle Youth (16-24) Rate: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)Note: This metric measures the rate of residents ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor working.

Indirect Work Factors – Total Points: 20

• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• Share of Workers with Multiple Jobs: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as a percentage of total employment.
• Annual Volunteer Hours per Resident: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

 Videos for News Use:

• YouTube (for web embedding National)
• Raw files (for editing into clips)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, Social Science Research Council and Corporation for National & Community Service.

Image: Gustavo Frazao / Shutterstock.com

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