North Dakota
Labor study shows North Dakota is hardest working state
With only 48 percent of Americans having used all of their paid time off last year, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2024’s Hardest-Working States in America, as well as expert commentary, to find out where Americans are putting in the most effort, as well as where people might need to take a break.
WalletHub compared the 50 states across 10 key metrics. The data set ranges from the average number of hours worked per week to the share of workers with multiple jobs to the average leisure time spent per day.
Top 20 Hardest-Working States in America
North Dakota was rated as the hardest working state, followed by Alaska at number two. Third was Nebraska, followed by Wyoming, South Dakota, Maryland, Texas, Colorado, New Hampshire and, at number 10, Kansas.
Ranked number 11 through 20 were Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, Hawaii, Tennessee, Mississippi, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri.
California was ranked 39th on the list and the bottom five were Connecticut at number 46, followed by New Mexico, Michigan, New York and West Virginia.
Key Stats
Alaska has the longest hours worked per week, which is 12 percent longer than in Utah, the state with the shortest.
New York has the longest average commute time, which is 1.9 times longer than in South Dakota, the state with the shortest.
Mississippi has the highest share of workers leaving vacation time unused, which is 1.6 times higher than in Ohio, the state with the lowest.
Maine has the highest share of workers with multiple jobs, which is 2.5 times higher than in Florida, the state with the lowest.
“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. 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,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst. “North Dakota is the hardest-working state, in part because it has the highest employment rate in the country, at over 98 percent. Plus, workers ages 16 to 64 in North Dakota work an average of 39.7 hours per week, the third-most in the country. People in the Roughrider State have the second-lowest amount of leisure time per day, and 33.5 percent of workers leave some vacation time unused, the second-highest percentage.”
To view the full report and all state rankings, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-working-states-in-america/52400
Expert Commentary
What impact do you believe AI will have on the American worker?
“I think it is still too early to determine what the full impacts will be. Early evidence suggests that AI will help a lot in boosting communication skills (think about ChatGPT’s ability to improve your writing), performing repetitive well-defined tasks (like some coding tasks) and in identifying relevant information (like using a patient’s symptoms to make a medical diagnosis based on past cases). Workers whose jobs require a lot of these tasks may find themselves shifting what they do at work, moving away from things that AI is good at. That could also mean that certain jobs that AI is really good at could become more scarce. But we also would expect that AI would introduce new job opportunities as well (prompt engineer, etc.), so it’s hard to say what the overall impact will be just yet.”
Christian vom Lehn – Associate Professor, Brigham Young University
Do you believe job conditions are on the rise in the U.S.? What measures should authorities undertake in order to better protect workers?
“Job conditions in the U.S. are indeed evolving, but whether they are on the rise is a matter of perspective. On one hand, there is a growing emphasis on creating safer work environments to reduce injuries, particularly in sectors like construction where hazards are inherent. This is coupled with the increasing adoption of technology, such as tele-health and telemedicine, which can expedite the recovery of injured employees and reduce associated costs. However, the rise of the gig economy, where workers traditionally lack workers’ compensation, presents new challenges. Additionally, there are concerns about legislation reducing workers’ compensation benefits, even as some states are extending benefits for issues like Covid infection and opioid addiction. To better protect workers, authorities should continue to enforce and refine regulations that ensure workplace safety. This includes holding employers accountable for providing safe and healthy work environments, as mandated by organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, authorities should address the changing nature of work by extending protections to gig workers and other non-traditional employees. This could involve reevaluating and updating workers’ compensation policies to reflect the realities of the modern workforce. Authorities should also leverage technology to improve worker protections. This could involve promoting the use of tele-health services in workers’ compensation or using digital tools to monitor and enforce workplace safety standards. Finally, authorities should consider measures to promote equality in the workplace, such as strengthening anti-discrimination laws and promoting equal pay for equal work. This is particularly important in light of the persistent gender pay gap and other forms of workplace inequality.”
Can Erbil – Professor of the Practice, Boston College
What are the main changes in the job market in 2024 and how will they impact employee engagement?
“I am going to answer as an organizational psychologist and not an economist! Organizations are still settling on hybrid work policies and are also continuing to edge towards gig, or non-fulltime, roles. Each of these can have negative impacts on employee engagement as we often lean into relationships with co-workers and a shared workspace as sources of connection to our jobs. However, positive employee engagement is a result of many factors with meaningful work being critical. Employers (and the employees themselves) should look to ensure that workers find identity and purpose in their work. Crafting jobs to take advantage of individuals’ skills and interests is one way to do this, as well as clarifying the impact of their work on external or internal customers.”
Dr. Kurt Kraiger – Chair and Professor, Department of Management, University of Memphis
Buffalo Chip revs up opening day of 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip opens with big crowds and high-energy musical performances and vendors.
An agricultural tourism site has been awarded $1.5 million for a planned expansion, part of $4 million in tourism grants announced by the North Dakota Department of Commerce.
The $1.5 million is for the Black Leg Market and Eatery at Sterling, east of Bismarck, which will be part of Black Leg Ranch. The ranch raises cattle and bison and sells meat. It also has a wedding venue, lodging, hunting and a brewery.
The project involves building the Market and Eatery, adding guest cabins and developing full-service RV sites.
The money for the $4 million in the latest round of grants became available after Country Fest, a Morton County music festival, declined the grant money after it decided not to make major changes to the event.
The Department of Commerce opened a new round of Destination Development Grant applications after Country Fest declined.
Other North Dakota grant recipients include:
- Johnny’s Landing – Casselton, $870,000: To develop a lodging and wellness destination with 14 full hookup RV sites, 12 wellness-focused heritage cabins converted from granaries and grain bins, renovated farmhouse lodging, preserved barn space for agritourism and a conversion of a historic wooden water tower into a sauna.
- Great Northern Event Center – Williston, $550,000:To refurbish a historic Main Street property, turning the underground portion of the building into a lounge and other upgrades.
- The Prairie Experience at The Bins – Lakota, $500,000:For construction of the Bins Coffee and Spirits café, developing three grain bin lodging units and other amenities.
- Icelandic Rootshús – Mountain,$300,000: The Icelandic Rootshús is a permanent interpretive center, a welcoming place where this work can be experienced in person through learning, studying, and gathering.
A full list of grant recipients is available on the Department of Commerce website.
North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.
Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.
Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.
Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.
“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.
Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.
The cause remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.
ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.
The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.
Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.
Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
-
New York20 minutes agoDeadly Gang Feud Left Bystander Paralyzed in Brooklyn
-
Detroit, MI51 minutes agoDetroit leads northern border in drug seizures, federal report says
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoCalifornia ‘Fans First’ bill aims to cap skyrocketing concert ticket prices
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoRanking Every Cowboys Position Group By Overall Talent and Depth
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoSevere weather, flash flooding possible in South Florida on Tuesday
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoCanvas reportedly reaches deal with hackers for stolen data – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoFormer Denver Bronco Craig Morton, who became the first quarterback to start Super Bowl for 2 franchises, dies at 83
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle weather: 80s on the horizon before a long cooldown