These are the hardest and least hard working US states, ranked

How hard is your state working?

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American employees work an average of 1,800 hours a year, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, but residents of some states work harder and longer than others.A report released by the personal finance website WalletHub in August 2026 evaluated all 50 US states to determine the hardest-working and least-hardworking states in the US. WalletHub examined 10 indicators across two categories, direct work factors and indirect work factors, to rank the states.Ranking direct work factors included assessments of average workweek hours, employment rates, the share of workers with unused vacation time, Gallup poll data about how engaged employees are in their work, and rates of "idle youth," or residents ages 18-24 with no school experience beyond a high school diploma or GED, and are not in school or working.The ranking of indirect work factors was determined by comparing average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, annual volunteer hours per resident, and average daily leisure time.WalletHub also utilized data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Travel Association, Gallup, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and AmeriCorps.Read on to see how hard your state is working compared to the rest of the country.