Which state has the hardest workers? This country has no shortage of industrious workers, particularly in the central states, but according to a recent analysis, Alaskans work harder than anyone else. WalletHub's recent ranking of hardest-working states looked at various factors reflective of a strong work ethic (though it says nothing about how productive these workers are during their time at the office). "Direct factors" that WalletHub used in its ranking calculations included average number of hours worked each week, employment rate, number of households with no working adults. number of workers with unused vacation time, share of "engaged" workers (those who were enthusiastic about their work or employer) and number of idle youth. "Indirect factors" included average commute time, number of workers with multiple jobs, volunteer hours worked and average daily leisure time. Source: WalletHub

Aside from overall work ethic, the analysis looked at which states excelled in each factor. Utah is tops when it comes to volunteering (likely due in part to the free time afforded by also having the lowest number of average work hours per week, at 37). Alaskans work the most hours per week (42 hours) but also have the lowest employment rate. And while North Dakotans ranked top overall for direct-work factors, their pitiful score on indirect factors knocked them down in the rankings. A strong work ethic may be a badge of honor for some, but it can take its toll on workers, especially those who may not be necessarily working those long hours by choice. Workers may be picking up extra hours or side jobs because they're saddled with debt from student loans or health care bills, or because their primary job simply doesn't pay enough to make ends meet. "Hopefully, with job scarcity and competition, wages will continue to grow for American workers," Florida A&M law professor Joseph Grant said in response to WalletHub's inquiry about the country's current state of employment. "I do worry about workers with lesser skills, and workers in certain industries. Indeed, some workers in these categories will need to pick up extra time on their existing jobs or find a second or third job to keep up with the increasing costs of fuel, housing and food spurred by a growing and expanding economy."