Give a High-Five to Our Hardest-Working State

Compared to workers in other countries, Americans are known for balking at taking too much vacation time, either because their employer doesn’t offer that many paid days off or because workers feel they can’t miss too many days without negative repercussions. The positive side of that coin is that US workers have become known for their work ethic—and WalletHub poked around to see which state is most known for rolling up its sleeves. The site looked at all 50 states across 10 metrics in two main categories: direct work factors (everything from the average number of hours in a workweek and a state’s employment rate, to shares of workers who rebuff vacation time), and indirect work factors, including average commute times, average time spent on leisure activities, and the share of workers holding down more than one job. Here, the top and bottom 10 states:

Hardest-working states

1. North Dakota (No. 1 in “Direct Work Factors” category)
2. Alaska
3. South Dakota
4. Nebraska
5. Wyoming
6. Texas
7. Virginia
8. Colorado
9. Kansas
10. Hawaii

Least hardworking states

41. Pennsylvania
42. Oregon
43. Rhode Island
44. Ohio
45. Nevada
46. Connecticut
47. Michigan
48. West Virginia
49. New York (last in “Direct Work Factors” category)
50. New Mexico

See how other states ranked here. (Ready to get to work? These US cities are the best places to start a career.)