Researchers Rank America's Hardest-Working Cities

Stock image of a stressed man at work. Washington D.C. is the top hardest-working city in the U.S., according to new rankings.

Some cities across the U.S. work much harder than others, research has found.

Researchers at WalletHub, a personal finance company, have ranked U.S. cities based on how hard they work, according to several important metrics including the average hours worked per week, and the proportion of people working multiple jobs.

Across the U.S., the average employee works for 1,811 hours every year, hundreds more than many countries including Japan, Germany and the U.K.

The researchers ranked cities based on “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.” Direct work factors included average workweek hours, employment rate, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, and rate of residents ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor working. These factors were then scored out of 100 for 116 cities.

Indirect work factors were also scored and included average commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs, average leisure time spent per day, and annual volunteer hours per resident.

The research found that the top 10 hardest-working cities based on a combination of both direct and indirect factors were, from 1st to 10th: Washington, D.C.; Irving, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Anchorage, Alaska; Norfolk, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; San Francisco, California; Denver, Colorado; and Austin, Texas.

Ranked only on direct work factors, the top 10 was very similar, just in a slightly different order: Irving, Texas; Austin, Texas; Anchorage, Alaska; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; San Francisco, California; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; and Corpus Christi, Texas.

However, ranked only on indirect work factors, the top 10 was remarkably different. The hardest working city by this ranking was Portland, Oregon, which was 54th on the combined ranking, followed by Baltimore, Maryland (42nd overall), Boston, Massachusetts (30th overall), Bridgeport, Connecticut (111th overall), Salt Lake City, Utah (44th overall), Seattle, Washington (32nd overall), Chesapeake, Virginia (16th overall), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (84th overall), Washington, D.C. (1st overall), and Milwaukee, Wisconsin (102nd overall).

Americans on average work about 25 percent more hours than European workers do, in large part due to laws surrounding employment in Europe.

“We work more than Europeans for a mix of legal and cultural reasons—for example, EU countries require employers to provide paid time off for vacations, parental leave, and sick leave. There are no corresponding federal laws in the United States. Most American workers have no protection from arbitrary discharge from employment because of the at-will rule, which creates fear in some workforces about the risks of being seen as a ‘slacker.’ Some have referred to this as America’s culture of presenteeism,” Michael J. Yelnosky a professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law, said in a statement for WalletHub.

“A smaller percentage of American workers than those in Europe have union representation and union workers are more likely to have better pay and benefits than their non-union counterparts. We are also a country that celebrates consumerism and the acquisition of wealth. Our brand of capitalism is much more individualistic and laissez-faire than European versions,” he said. “Many American workers do not think the long hours are worth it. According to surveys, many would prefer to work less even if it meant they earned less. There are serious health risks associated with working long hours.”

Research has found that working longer hours doesn’t even necessarily lead to increased productivity, and could put workers at risk of burnout.

“Overworked Americans are not necessarily more productive. The cumulative effects of stress lost sleep, and time away from family and friends tend to mount as the workweek grinds on. The overworked employee is also an employee who is more likely to burn out, suffer ill health effects, and leave the job. The categories of jobs that demand “extreme hours” have changed over time,” Keith Cunningham-Parmeter, a professor of law at the Lewis & Clark Law School, said in the statement.

“Whereas blue-collar workers in the mid-twentieth century logged in more time at the factory, today’s white-collar jobs are now more likely to demand round-the-clock hustle. The same dynamic can be found in the retail and service sectors. In contrast to previous generations, low-wage American workers today frequently have to string together multiple jobs just to make ends meet,” he said.

This burn-out of overworked employees can be prevented by governments and firms by paying them more and working them less hard, Yelnosky said.

Outside of that, it can help if they make the working environment more bearable for their workers, by providing them with benefits and giving them room to grow.

“All employers can provide clear expectations to employees along with prompt and constructive feedback. Similarly, all employers can recognize employee accomplishments, seek employee input, respect all employees, and provide learning opportunities for employees,” Ann C. Hodges, a professor of law emerita and program chair of paralegal studies at the University of Richmond, said in the statement. “All employers could provide some opportunity to engage in volunteer activities that benefit the community. Finally, equity and respect for all workers are essential in every workplace. Regardless of the job, every worker contributes to the mission and should feel valued for that contribution.”

“In addition, paid leave for illness, childcare, and other caregiving responsibilities, whether by government mandate or voluntarily by employers, would significantly improve quality of life and provide greater work-life balance for employees,” she said.

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