Personal finance website Wallethub recently published the results of a study they conducted to determine where Americans work the hardest by comparing the 50 states across 10 key indicators. The study shows Texas is one of the hardest working states in the country. But you already knew that, right?
To calculate the scores of each state, the study looked for key indicators divided in two dimensions: Direct work factors, which include average workweek hours, employment rate, share of households where no adults work, share of workers leaving vacation time unused, idle youth and more; and indirect work factors like average commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs, annual volunteer hours per resident and average leisure time spent per day.
Texas came fifth in the overall ranking, with a score of 57.91/100, with the first being North Dakota with an overall score of 67.80/100, but when looking at the average workweek hours Texas jumped to 4th place.
The research was conducted using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Corporation for National & Community Service.
In addition to the scoring system, Wallethub asked a panel of experts for more insights on productivity, working conditions and what steps could authorities take in order to better protect workers. While the American work ethic is the source of success for many businesses, overworking can take a toll on workers and companies as a whole.
Lily Yan Hughes, assistant dean of career services, college of law, office of career services at Syracuse University commented on the current economic environment, saying that wages will need to increase to stay competitive in a robust job market where workers have multiple choices. But not only wages.“I believe job conditions for workers will continue to be enhanced in the US because workers demand it and will continue to be choosy about who and what the employers are offering,” she added.
In case you missed it, here's Local Profile report on how much do you need to work in Texas’ largest cities to pay rent.