American labor work an mean of 1,800 hours a year, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, but residents of some states activity harder and longer than others.
A study released by the personal finance website WalletHub successful August 2026 evaluated all 50 US states to find the hardest-working and least-hardworking states successful the US. WalletHub examined 10 indicators crossed 2 categories, nonstop activity factors and indirect activity factors, to rank the states.
Ranking nonstop activity factors included assessments of mean workweek hours, employment rates, the stock of workers pinch unused picnic time, Gallup poll information astir really engaged labor are successful their work, and rates of "idle youth," aliases residents ages 18-24 pinch nary schoolhouse acquisition beyond a high schoolhouse diploma aliases GED, and are not successful schoolhouse aliases working.
The ranking of indirect activity factors was wished by comparing mean commute times, the stock of workers pinch multiple jobs, yearly unpaid hours per resident, and mean regular leisure time.
WalletHub besides utilized information from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Travel Association, Gallup, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and AmeriCorps.
Read connected to spot really difficult your authorities is moving compared to the remainder of the country.
50. Michigan
Michigan was classed arsenic the slightest hardworking state successful the US for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row.
Its nonstop activity factors classed 50th retired of each 50 states, pinch the fifth-lowest employment complaint successful the US, and its indirect activity factors placed 34th.
49. Oregon
Oregon's nonstop activity factors classed 49th, pinch the fourth-lowest mean workweek hours and fourth-lowest employment complaint successful WalletHub's ranking. Its indirect activity factors classed 21st.
Overall, it was recovered to beryllium the second-least hardworking state.
48. New Jersey
Ranked the third-least hardworking state, New Jersey has the third-lowest employment complaint successful the US. Overall, it classed 48th successful nonstop activity factors and 33rd successful indirect activity factors.
47. Ohio
Ohio's nonstop activity factors classed 47th, while its indirect activity factors classed 27th.
46. Nevada
Nevada's employment rate was the second-lowest successful the US down California. Its idle younker complaint tied pinch Louisiana and Mississippi for the highest of immoderate state.
In WalletHub's wide ranking, Nevada's nonstop activity factors classed 40th, and its indirect activity factors classed 47th.
45. Rhode Island
Rhode Island features the third-lowest mean workweek hours and the third-lowest yearly unpaid hours per resident. The authorities besides tied pinch Massachusetts and North Dakota for the second-lowest idle younker rate.
Overall, Rhode Island classed 44th successful nonstop activity factors and 37th successful indirect activity factors.
44. California
WalletHub's study recovered that California had the lowest employment complaint of immoderate state. It was classed 46th successful nonstop activity factors and 26th successful indirect activity factors.
43. New York
New York tied pinch Massachusetts for the fifth-lowest mean workweek hours, bringing its nonstop activity factors ranking to 45th and indirect activity factors ranking to 24th.
42. West Virginia
West Virginia tied pinch Oklahoma for the fifth-highest idle younker rate, placing the authorities 42nd successful nonstop activity factors and 39th successful indirect activity factors.
41. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's nonstop activity factors classed 36th. Its indirect activity factors classed 31st.
40. Illinois
Illinois classed 38th successful nonstop activity factors and 22nd successful indirect activity factors.
39. New Mexico
New Mexico residents were recovered to person the fourth-lowest mean leisure clip per day. The state's nonstop activity factors classed 35th, and its indirect activity factors classed 29th.
38. Washington
Washington's nonstop activity factors classed 41st. Its indirect activity factors made the apical 10, placing seventh.
37. Massachusetts
The authorities was classed 43rd successful nonstop activity factors and 5th successful indirect activity factors. It tied pinch New York for the fifth-lowest mean workweek hours, and tied pinch North Dakota and Rhode Island for the second-lowest idle younker rate.
36. South Carolina
South Carolina features the fifth-highest mean leisure clip spent per day, pinch a nonstop activity factors ranking of 32nd and indirect activity factors ranking of 44th.
35. Connecticut
Connecticut's yearly unpaid hours per resident are the fourth-highest successful the US. Its nonstop activity factors classed 37th, and its indirect activity factors classed 11th.
34. Delaware
WalletHub recovered that Delaware featured the lowest mean leisure clip spent per day. Its nonstop activity factors classed 39th, and its indirect activity factors classed sixth.
33. Kentucky
In Kentucky, nonstop activity factors and indirect activity factors achieved akin placements, ranking 34th and 32nd, respectively.
32. North Carolina
North Carolinians were recovered to person the third-highest magnitude of mean leisure clip spent per day. The authorities classed 22nd successful nonstop activity factors and 48th successful indirect activity factors.
31. Missouri
Missouri classed 28th successful nonstop activity factors and 40th successful indirect activity factors.
30. Florida
Florida's nonstop activity factors placed 26th, while its indirect activity factors placed 43rd.
29. Arkansas
In Arkansas, the nonstop activity factors classed 23rd. Its indirect activity factors classed little astatine 46th, pinch the fifth-lowest yearly unpaid hours per resident and fourth-highest idle younker complaint of immoderate state.
28. Arizona
Arizona's nonstop activity factors classed 29th, and its indirect activity factors classed 20th.
27. Maine
In Maine, the state's nonstop activity factors placed 27th and indirect activity factors placed 23rd.
26. Idaho
Idaho was classed 31st successful nonstop activity factors and 9th successful indirect activity factors, placing it 26th successful WalletHub's wide ranking. It was besides recovered to person the second-highest yearly unpaid hours per resident down Utah.
25. Minnesota
Minnesota tied pinch Iowa for the fifth-lowest idle younker complaint successful the US and classed eighth successful indirect activity factors.
24. Vermont
Vermont has the second-shortest mean workweek among US state, and its residents walk the fourth-most leisure clip each day, yet the authorities besides has the fourth-highest employment complaint successful the nation, and the authorities was classed arsenic the 24th astir hardworking authorities by nonstop activity factors.
23. Utah
Ranked arsenic the 4th hardest-working authorities by indirect activity factors, Utah workers person the shortest workweek hours retired of each states, and walk the highest number of unpaid hours.
22. Louisiana
Louisiana workers necktie pinch Texas for the second-most workweek hours connected average. The state, which classed 19th for nonstop activity factors and 42nd for indirect activity factors, besides tied pinch Mississippi and Nevada for the highest idle younker complaint successful the country.
21. Mississippi
Workers successful Mississippi person the second-lowest magnitude of leisure clip spent retired of each US states, and residents of the authorities person the lowest yearly unpaid hours. The state, which classed past successful indirect activity factors, besides has the fourth-longest workweek among each states.
20. Wisconsin
Wisconsin classed 25th for nonstop activity factors, but 17th for indirect activity factors, placing it 20th among each US states.
19. Indiana
Indiana classed 20th successful the study's nonstop activity factors and 25th successful the indirect activity factors.
18. Iowa
Tied pinch Minnesota for the fifth-lowest idle younker complaint successful the country, Iowa classed arsenic the 17th hardest-working authorities by nonstop activity factors; it was 30th for indirect.
17. Montana
Montana, which classed arsenic the 13th hardest-working authorities for indirect activity factors, has the third-highest yearly unpaid hours per resident among each US states.
16. Alabama
With the fifth-highest employment complaint successful the country, Alabama classed arsenic the 8th-hardest moving US authorities by nonstop activity factors.
15. Colorado
Ranked 16th for some nonstop and indirect activity factors, Colorado is the 15th hardest-working authorities successful the US, according to the WalletHub study.
14. Maryland
Maryland classed arsenic the 3rd hardest-working authorities by indirect activity factors, while nonstop activity factors placed it astatine 18th successful the nation.
13. Oklahoma
Oklahoma classed arsenic the 10th hardest-working authorities by nonstop activity factors, contempt tying pinch West Virginia successful having the fifth-highest idle younker rate.
12. Kansas
Kansas, which classed 15th successful some nonstop and indirect activity factors, was recovered to beryllium the 12th highest-working authorities successful the WalletHub study.
11. Virginia
Virginia, which was classed 14th for some nonstop and indirect activity factors, was classed arsenic the 11th hardest-working authorities successful the US.
10. Georgia
Georgia classed arsenic the ninth hardest-working US authorities by nonstop activity factors, while indirect activity factors placed it 28th.
9. Tennessee
Tennessee classed arsenic the 11th hardest-working US authorities by nonstop activity factors and the 18th hardest-working by indirect activity factors.
8. New Hampshire
New Hampshire, which has the lowest idle younker rates successful the country, classed arsenic the 10th hardest-working authorities by indirect activity factors and 12th by nonstop activity factors.
7. Texas
Tied pinch Louisiana for the highest mean workweek hours successful the US, Texas classed arsenic the sixth-hardest moving authorities by nonstop activity factors.
6. Nebraska
Nebraska classed 5th successful nonstop activity factors, contempt its indirect activity factors placing it 38th.
5. Wyoming
Tied pinch South Dakota for the fifth-highest mean workweek hours, Wyoming residents person the fifth-highest yearly unpaid hours and the third-lowest mean leisure clip spent per day. The authorities classed second-hardest-working by indirect activity factors and seventh-highest-working by nonstop activity factors.
4. Hawaii
With the second-highest employment complaint successful the country, Hawaii was classed the highest-working US authorities by indirect activity factors and the 4th hardest-working by nonstop activity factors.
3. Alaska
With the longest workweek retired of immoderate US state, Alaskan workers walk an mean of 41.4 hours each week astatine work, the highest successful the nation; they besides walk the second-lowest leisure clip daily. The authorities was classed arsenic the 3rd hardest-working successful the nation.
2. North Dakota
With an employment complaint of complete 97%, the third-highest successful the nation, North Dakota has the fifth-longest mean workweek hours and is tied pinch Massachusetts for the second-lowest idle younker rate. The authorities classed arsenic the hardest-working authorities based connected nonstop activity factors. Despite that, its workers besides support a work-life equilibrium and bask the highest mean regular leisure clip retired of each 50 states. The authorities classed highest connected nonstop activity factors contempt having the fifth-lowest rank connected indirect activity factors.
1. South Dakota
The hardest-working US authorities is South Dakota. A full of 6.5% of workers successful the authorities person aggregate jobs, the 11th-highest complaint successful the WalletHub study. At the aforesaid time, the authorities has the fifth-lowest idle younker rate, the highest employment rate, and is tied pinch Wyoming for the fifth-longest mean workweek. Workers successful the authorities walk the fifth-lowest mean leisure clip each day.
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Kristine Villarroel is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team.Her reporting often turns information into accessible stories astir really money, education, policy, and spot style Americans’ lives. She covers stories connected college costs and degree outcomes, state-by-state comparisons, public officials’ salaries, the rising costs of living, travel, food, and real estate.She has antecedently worked penning astir culture, entertainment, music, and tech. Her activity has been featured connected Teen Vogue and Wired. She graduated from the University of Florida pinch a grade successful journalism. There, she worked arsenic editor of The Independent Florida Alligator. Email Villarroel astatine [email protected] and travel her connected X @ktnedelvalle
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