Only 48 percent of Americans took all of their paid vacation time last year. Now, personal finance website WalletHub has released its report on the most work-stressed states in the U.S. in 2024, along with expert commentary to find out where Americans are straining the most and where people may need a break.

WalletHub compared the 50 states on 10 key metrics. The data sets range from the average number of hours worked per week to the proportion of workers with multiple jobs to the average amount of free time per day.

The 20 states with the highest labor intensity in the USA

North Dakota was ranked as the state with the highest labor intensity, followed by Alaska in second place. Nebraska was third, followed by Wyoming, South Dakota, Maryland, Texas, Colorado, New Hampshire and Kansas in 10th place.

Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, Hawaii, Tennessee, Mississippi, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri ranked 11th to 20th.

California ranked 39th on the list, and the bottom five included Connecticut at 46th, followed by New Mexico, Michigan, New York and West Virginia.

Key statistics

Alaska has the highest weekly working hours, 12 percent higher than Utah, the state with the shortest working hours.

The longest average commute time is in New York, where it is 1.9 times longer than in South Dakota, the state with the shortest commute time.

Mississippi has the highest percentage of workers who do not use their vacation entitlement, 1.6 times higher than Ohio, the state with the lowest percentage.

Maine has the highest proportion of workers with multiple jobs, 2.5 times higher than Florida, the state with the lowest proportion.

“There’s no denying that America has fostered a culture of hard work, with people working longer hours than residents of other developed countries and often forgoing vacation time. Hard work is commendable, but people in the states with the highest workloads may want to take a break now and then, as a lack of free time can have negative effects on people’s physical and mental health,” said Cassandra Happe, an analyst at WalletHub. “North Dakota is the state with the highest workload, in part because it has the highest employment rate in the country at over 98 percent. Additionally, workers ages 16 to 64 in North Dakota work an average of 39.7 hours per week, the third highest amount of time in the country. People in the Roughrider State have the second least amount of free time per day, and 33.5 percent of workers leave some of their vacation time unused, the second highest percentage.”

For the full report and all state rankings, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-working-states-in-america/52400

Expert comment

What impact do you think AI will have on the American worker?

“I think it’s too early to estimate the full impact. Early evidence suggests that AI will be very helpful for improving communication skills (think of ChatGPT’s ability to improve your typing skills), performing repetitive, well-defined tasks (like some coding tasks), and identifying relevant information (like using a patient’s symptoms to make a medical diagnosis based on previous cases). Workers whose jobs require a lot of these tasks may find themselves changing their jobs and moving away from things that AI is good at. That could also mean that certain jobs that AI is really good at could become less common. But we would also expect AI to create new job opportunities (prompt engineer, etc.), so it’s hard to predict the overall impact right now.”

Christian vom Lehn – Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

Do you think working conditions are improving in the United States? What measures should the authorities take to better protect workers?

“While working conditions in the U.S. are evolving, whether they are improving is a matter of perspective. On the one hand, there is increasing emphasis on creating safer work environments to reduce injuries, particularly in industries like construction where hazards are inherent. This is coupled with the increasing adoption of technologies like telehealth and telemedicine that can speed the recovery of injured employees and reduce associated costs. However, the rise of the gig economy, where workers traditionally do not receive workers’ compensation, is posing new challenges. In addition, there are concerns about legislation that is reducing workers’ compensation benefits, even as some states are expanding benefits for issues like Covid infections and opioid addiction. To better protect workers, authorities should continue to enforce and refine regulations that ensure workplace safety. This includes holding employers accountable for providing safe and healthy work environments, as mandated by organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, authorities should take into account the changing nature of work by extending protections to gig workers and other non-traditional workers. This could include reassessing and updating workers’ compensation policies to reflect the realities of the modern workforce. Authorities should also leverage technology to improve worker protections. This could include promoting the use of telehealth services in workers’ compensation or using digital tools to monitor and enforce workplace safety standards. Finally, authorities should consider measures to promote equality in the workplace, such as strengthening anti-discrimination laws and promoting equal pay for equal work. This is especially important given the persistent gender pay gap and other forms of inequality in the workplace.”

Can Erbil – Professor of Practice, Boston College

What are the key changes in the labor market in 2024 and what impact will they have on employee engagement?

“I will answer as an organizational psychologist, not an economist! Companies are still in the process of adopting hybrid work policies and continue to move toward gig or part-time roles. All of this can negatively impact employee engagement, as we often look to relationships with coworkers and a shared workspace as a source of connection to our work. However, positive employee engagement is the result of many factors, with meaningful work being key. Employers (and employees themselves) should ensure that employees find identity and meaning in their work. One way to do this is to design workplaces that leverage individuals’ skills and interests, while also making clear the impact of their work on external or internal customers.”

Dr. Kurt Kraiger – Chair and Professor, Department of Management, University of Memphis