When I first read a recent report about the hardest-working states in the U.S., the findings felt very unfair to our home state of California. 

We did badly on almost every criterion that they measured, which surprised me.

Granted, throughout history, it’s undeniable that America has long fostered a culture of hard work, with people working longer hours than those who live in other developed countries.

We the people most often leave vacation time on the table, not taking time off even when it’s due.

Working hard is commendable, but those hardest-working folks in some states just might want to consider taking a break once in a while. 

Who says?

I do, based on my own observations and that report published by the World Economic Forum and WalletHub’s 2025 “Hardest-Working States in America.”

To determine which states Americans work the longest hours, the report looked at 10 key metrics, from average workweek hours to the share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per person.

Based on those metrics, Americans work an average of more than 1,805 hours, considerably fewer than the widely accepted 2,080 hours in a 40-hour workweek.

Among the 50 states, California didn’t make it into the top 20, or even the top 40. We rank 45th, between Ohio and New York.

The highest number of hours

Turns out that the hardest-working state is North Dakota, where workers 16 to 64 years old work an average of 41.6 hours per week, the highest number of hours in the U.S.

The Peace Garden State also boasts the nation’s third-highest employment rate at 98%.

But outside of going to work, workers in North Dakota hardly take any time off for themselves. They have the 11th-lowest amount of leisure time per day.

Most surprising, 33% of workers leave some vacation time unused, the nation’s second-highest percentage.

Why aren’t these workers taking earned vacation time?

There are plenty of reasons. Some fear that if they take time off, they will look less dedicated to their jobs than co-workers, thereby risking a layoff.

Others worry about falling behind on their work or they’re concerned that the normal workflow won’t be able to function without them.

Added to this list are those workers who can’t afford to go elsewhere for a vacation, so they choose to stay at home for two weeks.

Lastly, there’s the lament of “I’ve got nowhere to go,” those poor souls who can afford it but lack the motivation to take time off.

Hard work is the key to success

It’s a truism that hard work is the key to success, and people in some states embrace that concept more than others.

Another noteworthy feature of the national labor market is how hiring and layoffs have both slowed considerably. Workers have their heads down doing their jobs. 

Put another way, no one is hiring, no one is firing, and no one is quitting.

Getting back to California, our state is rated at No. 49 in unemployment, at 5.5% compared with the national average of 4.5%.

Ouch.

Add to this the sharp decline in immigration labor and inflation due to tariffs that almost certainly have led to slower job growth, and our state has been hit harder than many others.

But looking on the bright side, maybe we’re doing some things right. These figures can reasonably be viewed as a positive sign of California’s higher quality of life, especially here.

Compared to nearly every other state, we work fewer hours per week, and we tend to take greater advantage of our leisure time by taking vacations.

Overall, we rank sixth in the lowest number of hours per week, which isn’t so bad, given that working too many hours each week can have a negative impact on physical and mental health.

What’s more, we’re lucky enough to live in a city with a thriving economy, beautiful beaches, temperate weather and a quality of life that’s unbeatable.

Compared to North Dakota and just about anywhere else.

Blair is co-founder of Manpower Staffing and can be reached at pblair@manpowersd.com.