
Where New York Ranks on ‘Hardest Working States’ List Should Embarrass Us
Are New Yorkers really that lazy?
A new study released by WalletHub looked at 2022's "Hardest-Working States in America." On a whole, Americans are pretty hard workers. They work an average of 1,791 hours per year, which averages just under 34.5 hours per week. Compare that to Germans, who work (on average) under 30 hours per week. Still, Americans don't work as hard as Mexicans, who are the undisputed champions at over 40 hours per week.
AMERICANS WORK HARD EVEN WHEN WE SHOULDN'T
It would be inaccurate and false to classify Americans as lazy. We work even when we don't have to. The WalletHub article reported that we forfeited an average of 4.6 paid days off in 2021. And we wonder why we always feel so burned out?
So nobody is claiming Americans are lazy. Buuutttt, those working hour metrics stated above can be broken down further by state. And when you look at where New York ranks, it's pretty embarrassing. Here's what WalletHub said:
To determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 10 key indicators. They range from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
So where does New York rank?
48 OUT OF 50
The study took into consideration average work hours, idle youth rate, average leisure time spent per day, and annual volunteer hours per resident. And according to the metrics, only Rhode Island (49) and New Mexico (50) work less hard than New Yorkers. Topping the list is North Dakota, with Alaska and Nebraska right behind them.
I'll admit this is surprising to me. I know PLENTY of New Yorkers who ROUTINELY work more than 40 hours a week (myself included). So what do you think, does New York belong at #48 on the list?
Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Direct Work Factors | Indirect Work Factors |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | North Dakota | 67.80 | 1 | 46 |
2 | Alaska | 67.44 | 2 | 4 |
3 | Nebraska | 62.43 | 3 | 10 |
4 | South Dakota | 60.47 | 4 | 21 |
5 | Texas | 57.91 | 5 | 33 |
6 | Virginia | 55.30 | 10 | 8 |
7 | Oklahoma | 54.68 | 8 | 37 |
8 | Kansas | 54.33 | 7 | 44 |
9 | New Hampshire | 53.98 | 12 | 9 |
10 | Wyoming | 53.42 | 6 | 50 |
11 | Georgia | 52.45 | 9 | 40 |
12 | Colorado | 51.81 | 13 | 17 |
13 | Tennessee | 50.92 | 11 | 38 |
14 | Maryland | 50.84 | 21 | 2 |
15 | Hawaii | 50.54 | 20 | 13 |
16 | Utah | 50.22 | 28 | 1 |
17 | Indiana | 49.87 | 18 | 18 |
18 | Minnesota | 49.34 | 23 | 7 |
19 | Alabama | 48.48 | 15 | 41 |
20 | Arkansas | 48.38 | 14 | 43 |
21 | Louisiana | 48.36 | 17 | 36 |
22 | Iowa | 48.14 | 19 | 28 |
23 | Mississippi | 46.93 | 16 | 49 |
24 | Wisconsin | 46.88 | 29 | 5 |
25 | Idaho | 46.33 | 25 | 20 |
26 | Vermont | 46.13 | 30 | 11 |
27 | North Carolina | 45.95 | 24 | 26 |
28 | South Carolina | 45.40 | 22 | 45 |
29 | Missouri | 44.86 | 26 | 27 |
30 | Maine | 44.64 | 35 | 3 |
31 | Montana | 44.40 | 32 | 15 |
32 | Kentucky | 43.80 | 27 | 30 |
33 | Arizona | 43.58 | 33 | 22 |
34 | Washington | 43.00 | 36 | 14 |
35 | Florida | 40.94 | 31 | 48 |
36 | Delaware | 40.84 | 34 | 29 |
37 | Nevada | 38.64 | 37 | 34 |
38 | Pennsylvania | 38.44 | 42 | 12 |
39 | Illinois | 37.79 | 38 | 32 |
40 | California | 37.42 | 39 | 35 |
41 | Oregon | 37.28 | 46 | 6 |
42 | Ohio | 36.90 | 40 | 24 |
43 | New Jersey | 36.54 | 41 | 25 |
44 | Massachusetts | 36.47 | 44 | 19 |
45 | Connecticut | 34.77 | 48 | 16 |
46 | West Virginia | 34.24 | 43 | 42 |
47 | Michigan | 33.05 | 45 | 39 |
48 | New York | 32.51 | 50 | 23 |
49 | Rhode Island | 32.30 | 49 | 31 |
50 | New Mexico | 31.26 | 47 | 47 |