Cities in Texas, especially North Texas, are among the hardest-working in the country, according to a new study published by WalletHub.
Over 100 U.S. cities were compared across two primary dimensions, with “Direct Work Factors” accounting for 80% of the score and “Indirect Work Factors” making up the remaining 20%.
Direct Work Factors
- Average workweek hours
- Employment rate
- Share of households where no adults work
- Share of workers leaving vacation time unused
- Share of engaged workers
- Idle youth (16-24)
Indirect Work Factors
- Average commute time
- Share of workers with multiple jobs
- Annual volunteer hours per resident
- Share of residents who participate in local groups or organizations
- Average leisure time spent per day
Of the 116 ranked cities, Dallas landed at number seven on the list. Broken down, Dallas was 32nd in terms of indirect work but fifth in terms of direct work.
The only other city in the Lone Star State that ranked higher was Irving at number two. Irving earned its spot partly due to having the lowest share of households where no adults work, at just 11%. A consequence, said the study, was that residents there have less leisure time than people living in most other U.S. cities.
In addition to Dallas and Irving, several other Texas cities, some also in the DFW, made the top 20:
#10. Austin
#12. Corpus Christi
#13. Plano
#14. Fort Worth
#15. Arlington
#18. Laredo
#19. Garland
This is not the first time the Lone Star State has been highlighted for working hard. In December, The Dallas Express reported that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics concluded Texans log more working hours than any other state, clocking in an average of 1,790 hours annually.
Nationwide, Washington, DC, apparently capped the WalletHub list as the hardest-working city in the United States, while Burlington, Vermont, came in last.
