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Mapped: U.S. States That Work the Hardest
Published 1 month ago on September 26, 2024
By Pallavi Rao
Graphics/Design:
Anna Diederichs
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

This map shows the U.S. states that work the hardest, as scored out of
100 by a Wallethub study conducted in July 2024.

Mapped: The U.S. States That Work the Hardest
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This map shows the U.S. states that work the hardest, as scored out of
100 by a Wallethub study conducted in July 2024.

Naturally trying to measure and compare “hard-work” requires a little
bit of data analysis.

How Is Hard Work Quantified?
Here’s what Wallethub did. First they analyzed all states on 10
indicators and assigned them different weights.

These indicators are then divided into two categories. The main one,
“Direct Work” contributes 80 points to the total score.

Direct Work Factors Weight Points Wallethub Definitions
Average Workweek
Hours Triple Weight 36.9 N/A
Employment Rate Full Weight 12.3 Employed 16+ civilian
population / Total 16+
civilian population in
labor force.
Share of Households
Where No Adults
Work Full Weight 12.3 N/A
Share of Workers
Leaving Vacation
Time Unused Half Weight 6.2 N/A
Share of Engaged
Workers Half Weight 6.2 Share of employees
who are “involved in,
enthusiastic about
and committed to
their work and
workplace.”
Idle-Youth Half Weight 6.2 Rate of 18-24
residents not in
school, or working
and no degree
beyond a high school
diploma.
Meanwhile, “Indirect Work” indicators help the state achieve the last 20
points.

Indirect Work Factors Weight Points Wallethub Definitions
Average Commute Time Full Weight 5.0 N/A
Share of Workers
with Multiple Jobs Full Weight 5.0 Employed population
with multiple jobs /
Total employed
population.
Annual Volunteer
Hours per Resident Full Weight 5.0 N/A
Average Leisure
Time Spent per Day Full Weight 5.0 N/A
Clearly, states that score better on higher-weighted indicators end up
with a higher overall score, as seen below.

Ranked: America’s Hardest-Working States
Wallethub states North Dakota is the hardest-working American state,
giving it a rounded score of 67/100. The state’s 98% employment rate
helped in securing first place.

Search:
Overall Rank State State Code Total Score
1 North Dakota ND 67
2 Alaska AK 64
3 Nebraska NE 60
4 Wyoming WY 60
5 South Dakota SD 60
6 Maryland MD 58
7 Texas TX 57
8 Colorado CO 55
9 New Hampshire NH 54
10 Kansas KS 53
Showing 1 to 10 of 50 entriesPreviousNext

Note: Figures rounded.
Meanwhile, Alaska ranks second with 64 points, due to its average
workweek crossing 41 hours. It’s the only state in the study which
crossed the standard 40-hour metric.

And Nebraska comes in third with 60 points. Wallethub states that more
than 7% of its workforce has multiple jobs, the third-highest of all states.

A quick overview of the map reveals that the strip of states in the
center of the country are the hardest-working, with scores falling as
one moves east and west respectively. Interestingly this is also
America’s farming country, a demanding sector that requires long hours.

Another interesting phenomenon is how Alaska and North Dakota have high
direct work ranks but are bottom of the pack for indirect work.

Search:
Overall Rank State Direct Work
Factors Rank Indirect Work
Factors Rank
1 North Dakota 1 41
2 Alaska 2 34
3 Nebraska 5 5
4 Wyoming 6 2
5 South Dakota 3 26
6 Maryland 7 4
7 Texas 4 31
8 Colorado 9 7
9 New Hampshire 12 9
10 Kansas 10 25
Showing 1 to 10 of 50 entriesPreviousNext
However, Nebraska performs equally well in both categories. The
Cornhusker state has a low share of idle-youth, and has the
fifth-highest volunteer hours per capita in the country.

Learn More on the Voronoi App
Interestingly, many of America’s hardest-working states have much lower
cost of living requirements. See how the data shakes out in The Income
an Individual Needs to Live Comfortably in the States.

Enjoying the data visualization above?