12 Hardest-Working States in America: 2024

American workers put in an average of 1,799 hours per year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. They work 456 hours per year more than their German counterparts, although not as many as Mexicans, who beaver away for 2,207 hours. The average for OECD countries is 1,742 hours per year. A new report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, finds that many hardworking Americans don't even take full advantage of the opportunity to slack off a bit, as only 48% use all their vacation days. "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," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a statement. She adds, however, that although their effort is commendable, people in the hardest-working states may need to consider taking a break once in a while: A lack of leisure time can negatively affect their physical and mental health. In order to determine where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two dimensions:

• Direct work factors, including average workweek hours, employment rate, share of workers who leave vacation time unused and idle youth
• Indirect work factors, including average commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs, annual volunteer hours per resident and average leisure time spent per day

Researchers evaluated those dimensions using 10 key metrics and graded each one on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the hardest working. They then determined each state's weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score. See the accompanying gallery for the 12 hardest-working states, according to WalletHub.