From the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple to the ever-buzzing streets of Los Angeles, America is home to some of the hardest-working cities in the world.
But what makes a city truly stand out as a beacon of productivity and dedication? A new report from WalletHub claims to have determined the "hardest-working" cities nationwide for 2024, and six of those cities are right here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Analysts compared 116 cities on 11 metrics, including employment rate, average weekly work hours, and share of workers with multiple jobs.
According to the study, Irving ranked second on the extensive list as the hardest-working city in America with a 76.39 score. The city ranked #1 in direct work factors and #46 in indirect work factors. The report also indicated that Irving has the lowest share of households where no adults work, 3.6 times lower than Detroit, the city with the highest.
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"One consequence of Irving residents' hard work is the fact that they have a much lower amount of leisure time compared to people in most cities. While Irving workers should be applauded for their dedication, it's also important to avoid overwork and take some time to relax," researchers said.
Ranked at #7, Dallas scored 74.21 overall, with a #5 in direct work factors and #32 in indirect work factors.
The city of Plano was ranked #13 with a score of 72.84. It was #14 in direct work factors and #38 in indirect work factors.
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Fort Worth (71.14) is tailgating behind Plano, ranked #14 overall. The city ranks #16 in direct and #30 in indirect work.
Arlington was ranked #15 with a score of 72.12. It was ranked #15 in direct work and #31 in indirect work.
Garland was ranked as the 19th hardest-working city in the United States. It came in sixth in North Texas and placed 25th in direct work and 21st in indirect employment.
"Hard work is one of the main reasons why America has become so successful, but it can also lead to negative consequences if it crosses into overwork territory," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe.
In other words, even though people in the hardest-working cities are the backbone of our economy, they shouldn't forget to take the occasional break for their mental and physical health."
So, which city is considered the hardest-working city in the U.S.? That would belong to the country's capital, Washington, D.C..
Our nation's capital ranked #1 with a 76.97 score. It came in at #4 for direct and ##9 for indirect work.
Experts said D.C. has the highest share of workers who leave vacation time unused, at 64%, and residents also work the third-most hours per week on average. The natives there are willing to take relatively long commutes to work, at over 30 minutes on average, which adds to their workday. Outside of work, over 30% of the District’s residents are members of local volunteer groups or organizations.
The complete study, methodology, and expert questions are on WalletHub's site.
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