These are the 'hardest working states' in 2025, data suggests

Americans are hard workers, putting in an average of 1,805 hours per year, according to the World Economic Forum.

But which states are the hardest-working?

Researchers at WalletHub were determined to find out, comparing the 50 states across two key dimensions: "Direct Work Factors" and "Indirect Work Factors." 

These factors ranged from the average workweek hours to the share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.

North Dakota is hardest working state

By the numbers:

The data found that North Dakota was the hardest-working state, in part because it had the third-highest employment rate in the country, at nearly 98%. 

Workers aged 16 to 64 worked an average of 39.6 hours per week – the fourth-most in the country. In addition, 33.5% of workers left some vacation time unused – the second highest percentage.

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WalletHub noted that residents in the Roughrider States don’t take a lot of time for themselves outside of work, either, as they had the 11th-lowest amount of leisure time per day. 

North Dakota was followed by Alaska and South Dakota.

What they're saying:

"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," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said. "Working hard is commendable, but people in the hardest-working states may need to consider taking a break once in a while, as a lack of leisure time can have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health."

Hardest Working States

1. North Dakota
2. Alaska
3. South Dakota
4. Texas
5. Hawaii

Americans are considered hard workers, data finds

Dig deeper:

According to the data, Americans are hard workers, putting in an average of 1,805 hours per year, according to the World Economic Forum. That’s 470 hours per year more than Germans work, but 447 fewer than Colombians do. 

In addition, the study found that Americans left 33% of their paid time off unused in 2023.

Despite this, the work-from-home movement has sparked conversations in recent years about work-life balance and productivity. While some have argued that workers are less productive at home, others suggest that in-person work leads to more stress.

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The organization Sleep Doctor surveyed 1,250 full-time workers last year and found that 1 in 3 workers regularly nap during work hours and found that remote and hybrid workers were more likely to take naps during the workday than in-person workers. 

On a weekly basis, 34% of remote workers took naps compared to 45% of hybrid workers and 27% of in-person workers.