Americans are hard workers, putting in an average of 1,805 hours per year, according to the World Economic Forum.
Even when given the chance to not work as hard, many Americans won’t. Americans left 33 percent of their paid time off unused in 2023. While leaving vacation time on the table may seem strange to some people, there are plenty of reasons why workers choose to do so. 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 are concerned 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.
With Americans working an average of over 1,800 hours per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2025’s Hardest-Working States in America, as well as expert commentary.
In order to determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across ten key metrics. The data set ranges from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
Top 20 Hardest-Working States
North Dakota was rated at number one, the hardest working state. Second was Alaska, followed by South Dakota, Texas, Hawaii, Virginia, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Maryland and Nebraska coming in at number 10. Taking the 11 through 20 spots were Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee Oklahoma Colorado, Montana Mississippi, Iowa, Minnesota and, at number 20, Alabama.
The bottom five were New York at number 46, followed by Nevada, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Michigan. California was just outside that bottom five rank, coming in at number 45 overall.
Key Stats
Alaska has the longest hours worked per week, which is 12 percent longer than in Utah, the state with the shortest.
New York has the longest average commute time, which is 1.9 times longer than in South Dakota, the state with the shortest.
Mississippi has the highest share of workers leaving vacation time unused, which is 1.6 times higher than in Ohio, the state with the lowest.
Montana has the highest share of workers with multiple jobs, which is 2.4 times higher than in Mississippi, the state with the lowest.
“It’s undeniable that America has fostered a culture of hard work, with people working longer hours than residents of other developed countries and often leaving vacation time on the table. Working hard is commendable, but people in the hardest-working states may need to consider taking a break once in a while, as a lack of leisure time can have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst. “North Dakota is the hardest-working state, in part because it has the third-highest employment rate in the country, at nearly 98 percent. Plus, workers ages 16 to 64 in North Dakota work an average of 39.6 hours per week, the fourth-most in the country. People in the Roughrider State have the 11th-lowest amount of leisure time per day, and 33.5 percent of workers leave some vacation time unused, the second-highest percentage.”
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-working-states-in-america/52400
Expert Commentary
“Due to the relatively modest inflation which is not up to the high level of some years ago and coupled with the decent earnings maintained for most jobs, resorting to work extra jobs might not be the immediate response of people. Also, on average, productivity is getting better than the pandemic levels, so that higher wages will still yield a real increase notwithstanding how small the gains are and how squeezed some families might currently feel. However, if general prices were to persist in escalating, then the real value of weekly pay would flatten or decline such that more individuals might need to get multiple jobs.”
Favour Olarewaju – Economics PhD Candidate, The University of Memphis
Do you believe job conditions are on the rise in the U.S.? What measures should authorities undertake in order to better protect workers?
“Wages are the easiest condition to monitor, though certainly not the only one of importance. One key job condition is the ability to work remotely, either full time or in a hybrid capacity. News reports indicate that some big employers are curtailing this practice as part of “return to office” initiatives. This usually constitutes a deterioration in job conditions: most workers say they are willing to trade off some of their salary for the ability to work remotely, which saves them commuting time and adds flexibility. However, the best data we have on remote work actually doesn’t show it declining much overall. As of July 2025, 22 percent of workers reported at least some amount of remote work. This is roughly in the same range it’s been for the last couple of years.”
Ryan Nunn – Assistant Vice President, Community Development and Engagement, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
“Job conditions are currently mixed given the slightly sustained pay increase and workplace safety with marginal gains over rising prices but workers engagement and leverage on jobs remain fragile. Union membership is still low which further limits workers voices and negotiation power while having second jobs are more static than surging. Authorities could strive for much safer working environments via increased grants and inspections. Additionally, case-by-case enforcement of state-level bans can be done so that workers have better mobility to bargain and switch jobs. Also, wage transparency and fairness should be encouraged to reflect job quality and overtime thresholds alongside investing in AI literacy upskilling trainings to protect workers.”
Favour Olarewaju – Economics PhD Candidate, The University of Memphis
What are the main changes in the job market in 2025, and how will they impact employee engagement?
“AI and automation are reshaping jobs faster than many companies can adapt, which feels exciting for some workers and unsettling for others. At the same time, there is a popular push for employees to use AI, even though many are unsure how that will be perceived or whether they can trust the tools. I think employee engagement will ultimately depend on whether employees feel supported, through training, transparency, and opportunities to use these tools in ways that make their work more meaningful, not more precarious.”
Anyi Ma – Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin - Madison
“Remote work presents some well-known challenges for engagement, in the sense that some kinds of collaboration are trickier without in-person contact. In particular, research has shown that early-career workers tend not to get as much mentoring and training when they work remotely. Another noteworthy feature of the 2025 labor market is how low hiring and layoffs both have been. The lack of layoffs is of course good for workers. But many workers are probably feeling stuck in place, with job offers more scarce than in prior years. Finally, the sharp decline in immigration is almost certainly leading to slower labor force and job growth. This will be important for labor market analysts to keep tracking.”
Ryan Nunn – Assistant Vice President, Community Development and Engagement, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
