Happiest workers: Alaska ranks first, Georgia last

A new report ranks the states in terms of happiest employees, with Alaska coming in first and Georgia taking last place. The report, from SelectSoftware Reviews, evaluated states in the U.S. based on metrics taken from data collected in September of this year.

The report evaluated each state based on wages, quit rates, commute times, working hours, injuries, paid time off, and state positivity levels. It used a range of public and private sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Stats America, Bankrate, Paycor, and Scholaroo.

According to officials with SelectSoftware, the findings reflect that there can be significant differences among states in employee happiness. “Although many people might assume that a job is the same wherever you are, these results demonstrate the considerable impact a location can have on how workers feel about their job, whether that is due to state laws, commute times, or wages. It emphasizes the importance for employers to create environments where employees find genuine fulfillment and can thrive,” said Phil Strazzulla, CEO of SelectSoftware Reviews.

Happiest vs. unhappiest

The top five states for employee happiness, according to the study were: Alaska, Rhode Island, North Dakota, Colorado, and Minnesota.

The five states with the lowest scores in employee happiness were (in descending order): South Carolina, New York, Florida, Texas, and Georgia.

The report noted that different issues might weigh more heavily in different states. For example, New York has a relatively high injury rate among workers, and its commute times also played a role in lowering its score—it has the longest commute time of any state. “The longest commute came out as 33.5 minutes in New York. Longer commutes can be detrimental to employee morale, as they significantly extend the workday, while problems like heavy traffic can increase overall stress,” the report said.

Alaska, on the other hand, scored well with higher wages, low commute times, low quit rates, and lower working hours. Rhode Island scored highly in part because of very low injury rates: “With a thriving job market, available paid-time-off (PTO) laws, and a modest quit rate of 2.4%, it also has the lowest injury rate of any state with only five fatal incidents reported in the previous year.,” the study said.‍

Minnesota, the report noted, had relatively high working week numbers (40.2 hours per week), but made the top five due to a low quit rate (1.8%), and generous PTO laws.

Georgia ranked last due to a high quit rate (3.6%) and ranked poorly for general unhappiness and long commutes. Texas, the report noted, had a very high injury rate: 533 fatal workplace injuries a year, a “staggering” number, the report said. It also has the second-longest working week at 43.6 hours. Florida’s relatively low wages, long hours, and lack of PTO benefits contributed to its poor score. “The average Floridian only earns $18 per hour compared to the $32 per hour earned in Alaska,” the report said. “This and the state’s lack of PTO laws bring down overall employee satisfaction.”

Money and time are two big factors

The study suggests, not surprisingly, that higher pay rates and fewer working hours are two factors that contribute strongly to worker happiness.

For example, Alaska, the highest rated state, has an average work week of 31.1 hours. The average annual wage is $52,000. Those two factors and the other positive scores in commute time and overall job satisfaction put it on first among all states.

However, money isn’t everything: the state with the highest annual average wage was Massachusetts, at $58,450 per hour. Yet lower scores in other areas resulted in that state ranking 11th overall.

Related: Benefits packages and pay raises won’t fix employee engagement

Likewise, time was a factor in states such as Colorado (39.4 work hours per week) scoring fourth-highest overall, with other factors such as relatively high wages ($50,250) and modest injury and quit rates.

Although the study identifies states doing relatively better or worse in measurements of worker happiness, HR experts still see a significant amount of burnout and dissatisfaction among workers in the U.S. A study from early this year found that employees ranked paid time off as the most helpful benefit in battling burnout. Work-from-home options, employee assistance programs, and more emphasis on mental health benefits have also been listed as important to workers.