North Dakota

Here’s which state works the hardest

Published

1 year ago

September 2, 2024

Capitalism and America go hand in hand so perhaps it’s no surprise the US takes the ninth spot in the battle for most hard-working country in the world, at nearly 1,800 hours a year.

But how does that figure break down by state?

Financial news site WalletHub analyzed all 50 states to find out.

North Dakota took the top spot as the hardest working state in the country, while Alaska and Nebraska ranked second and third.

WalletHub compared each state across two dimensions – “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors” – spanning 10 categories for a total of 100 points. Direct Work Factors included average workweek hours, employment rate, share of households where no adults work, share of workers who do not use vacation time, share of engaged workers, and idle youth. Indirect Work Factors included average commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs, annual volunteer hours, and average leisure time.

Hardest working states

Overall Rank	Total Score
1. North Dakota Advertisement	66.54
2. Alaska	63.55
3. Nebraska	59.97 Advertisement
4. Wyoming	59.92
5. South Dakota	59.69
6. Maryland Advertisement	57.53
7. Texas	56.86
8. Colorado	55.13 Advertisement
9. New Hampshire	54.20
10. Kansas	52.63

North Dakota had the highest employment rate – at 98 per cent – and the lowest percentage of idle youth, or adults ages 18 through 24 who are not in school, have no school experience beyond a high school diploma, and are not working. But the flip side of that is significant — The Peace Garden State, known for its vast prairies that include Theodore Roosevelt National Park, had the second lowest leisure time and the second highest percentage of workers who do not use their vacation time.

Wild horses stand in a group along a hiking trail in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Oct. 21, 2023, a site not enough locals are visiting because they’re too busy working. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Alaska, which came in second place, had the highest average workweek, at 41.6 hours per week. “This is significant because Alaska is the only state where the average exceeds 40 hours per week,” the report noted. Alaska, which attracts over 2 million tourists every year to see its Northern Lights and other natural wonders, also had the ninth highest percentage of workers with more than one job and the 10th lowest percentage of households where no adults work.

At third place, Nebraska had the third highest percentage of workers with multiple jobs. “Although this may not be an ideal situation, indicating that people’s main jobs are not paying them enough, it’s still a testament to how hard Nebraska residents are willing to work,” the report said. The state also had the second lowest percentage of idle youth and the fifth highest share of volunteer hours per capita.

The states that worked the least were scattered across the country: West Virginia ranked last, while New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and Connecticut rounded out the bottom five.

Locals at Echo Lake in Palmer, Alaska, fishing, an activity that most don’t get enough time for with the longest work week in the country, the only state where the average person works over 40 hours. (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

From liberals to conservatives, the virtue of hard work is a cornerstone of American culture — but that also means little time for other parts of life, including not taking vacation pay workers have earned.

“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,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe wrote in the report. “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.”

Can Erbil, an economics professor at Boston College quoted in the report, said that the current economic environment in the U.S. “presents a mixed picture for wage growth.”

He noted that high inflation and the effects of the pandemic have led businesses to be more cautious when hiring, decreasing job openings and creating a more competitive job market. Meanwhile, automation and artificial intelligence have also contributed to job reduction in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and technology.

“Despite these challenges, the job market remains relatively strong with relatively low unemployment rates,” Erbil said. “The decline in job openings signifies a return to a more balanced labor market, which can potentially lead to increased job stability and improved employee engagement in the long run.”

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North Dakota

North Dakota State QB Reveals Why He Stayed Amid FBS Move

Published

5 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota State QB Reveals Why He Stayed Amid FBS Move

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NDSU’s likely starting quarterback is ready for a new era in the FBS.

North Dakota State experienced its largest-ever loss of players to the transfer portal before the recent FBS move, and fortunately, the Bison didn’t lose the program’s next starting quarterback.

Senior quarterback Nathan Hayes told Bison 1660 AM that he wasn’t certain it the FBS move up would happen during his years in Fargo. That said, Hayes admitted “that’s not why I stayed” regarding the once-potential FBS move.

“I stayed because of the coaching staff here. I stayed because of my teammates and the relationships that I’ve built with them,” Hayes told Bison 1660 AM on Feb. 11. “So no matter who we play, we’re just gonna go out there and try to prove something and show all the work that we’ve done, all the time that we’ve put in together.”

A West Chicago, Illinois, native, Hayes has been part of the Bison program since 2023 and won a FCS national championship in 2024. He played in just 18 games over the past three years, but he is poised to take the starting job after Cole Payton‘s departure for the NFL Draft.

Nathan Hayes: ‘Might Be Eye-Opening’

In Hayes’ brief appearances, he completed 59% of his passes for 595 yards and seven touchdowns versus one interception. He also rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

“Yeah, I think the first few weeks might be eye-opening, surreal because thinking back to Colorado [in 2024], I mean, we get to the stadium, it’s a bigger stadium, all the bright lights,” Hayes said. “We’re playing a team that’s supposed to be better than us from a you know, FBS standpoint. So I think the first few weeks might be a little bit of an adjustment period, but I don’t think that should affect our play.”

And then once we settle in, it’s just gonna be, you know, onto the next the same preparation weekend and week out as far as film, practice, weight room. So yeah, I think by … a few weeks in, we’re just gonna be, you know, the Bison,” Hayes added.

Nathan Hayes Reveals Players’ Vibe Amid FBS Announcement

Hayes talked about the Feb. 8 team meeting when the players knew the FBS move was official after years of speculation over NDSU’s FBS plans.

“Oh yeah, especially the seniors, just because in previous years you have all the, you know, … the periods where you’re gonna be an FCS for another year, but you can’t compete for a playoff,” Hayes said. “So going into this offseason, kind of hearing the rumors like is that something we seniors kind of selfishly is that what we really want? Because we’re just gonna have 12 FCS games and not be able to play for a championship, and then we’re gonna move to the Mountain West next year.”

“And then we hear officially that Okay, we’re going this year. We get to play this year, and so I think the seniors were really excited,” Hayes continued. Everybody was really excited to, oh, dang, … it’s on now. So standing ovation in the team room for Matt Larsen and coach [Tim] Polasek was really cool. Just the energy in there even after everybody’s talking. Everybody’s in the group chats excited about, you know, who we’re gonna play.”

Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis

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North Dakota

ND National Guard’s 142nd Engineer Battalion returns from southern border

Published

17 hours ago

February 23, 2026

Press Room

ND National Guard’s 142nd Engineer Battalion returns from southern border

North Dakota National Guard’s 142nd Engineer Battalion welcomed home on Feb. 21, 2026.

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (KFGO) – Fifty members of the North Dakota National Guard’s 142nd Engineer Battalion are back home following a year-long deployment to the nation’s southern border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The unit returns to North Dakota after providing assistance to CBP operations aimed at stemming illegal immigration, drug smuggling and human trafficking.

“I cannot tell you the exact number as far as the number of drugs, the number of sex trafficking operations, or the exact number of illegal crossings that we prevented and stopped. But the number is significant,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Kaufman.

The unit’s deployment followed the deployments of the 957th Engineer Company, the 1-112th Aviation Regiment and the 817th Engineer Company to the southern border.

“The members of the 142nd Engineer Battalion have served with professionalism and dedication, helping combat illegal immigration, drug smuggling and human trafficking at our southern border,” said Sen. John Hoeven. “We are grateful for their service and proud to welcome them safely home to North Dakota. Border security is national security, and it’s vital that we do everything we can to protect our country.”

At a welcome home ceremony on Saturday, North Dakota National Guard Adjutant General, Brigadier General Mitchell R. Johnson, Command Sergeant Major Kendall Struxness, and Lt. Col. Ryan Kaufman, Commander of the 142nd Engineer Battalion in Valley City, addressed the audience and shared experience of their deployment.

Lt. Col. Kaufman says no soldiers had to use their assigned weapon on this deployment and everyone made it home safely. One soldier was attacked by an illegal immigrant.

“Thankfully that soldier was a high school wrestler and came out on the better end of that deal,” Kaufman told the audience. “And that was handled about as good as you could possibly hope for.”

He also says the Chaplain is okay after being hit by a car while on deployment.

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