As Americans prepare to celebrate Labor Day on Monday, the online web site WalletHub compared the 50 states across 10 key indicators to determine where Americans work the hardest.
The average American worker puts in an average of 1,780 hours per year, according to the World Economic Forum. That’s about 425 hours per year more than Germans work, but about 370 less than Mexicans do.
“Even when given the chance to not work as hard, many Americans won’t,” said Adam McCann of WalletHub. “In fact, the average American only uses 54% of their available vacation time.”
While some of the extra work may involve workers happily pursuing the American Dream, McCann said studies indicate many others 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 worry that the normal workflow will not be able to function without them.
WalletHub ranked the states on data ranging from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
Hardest working states
1. North Dakota
2. Alaska
3. South Dakota
4. Texas
5. Nebraska
Source: WalletHub. Among the 50 states, Tennessee ranked 16th, Georgia ranked 17th and Alabama ranked 34th.