Ohio has some of the happiest employees in the U.S., study says. Here’s why
Vacation time, annual wages, job satisfaction, weekly working hours and work environment.
All of these things and more contribute to the happiness of employees.
So, where do the happiest employees live?
Well, right here in Ohio, of course.
According to a study by Select Software Reviews, which used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Stats America, Ohio has some of the happiest employees in the entire country.
Why are Ohio employees so happy?
The Select Software Reviews study found that Ohio employees are pleased with a number of factors on the job.
The study used a happiness index for working residents in each state. The index included annual wages, quit rates, injuries, commute times, PTO (paid time off) laws, weekly working hours and a general score for each of the 50 states.
The index points were then given a happiness score out of 100 and states were ranked 1 to 50 based on the score they received.
Georgia’s happiness score is, well, not a happy one. Coming in last, with a ranking of 50, Georgia’s happiness score was 29.62 out of 100.
According to the study: “Georgia has the highest quit rate, 3.6%, of any contender, ranks poorly for general state happiness, and grapples with an average commute time of 28.7 minutes.”
So, are Ohio residents the only ones satisfied with their work life? Not at all.
Are people in other states satisfied with their jobs?
Seven states had happier employees than Ohio and its happiness score of 52.05. Topping the list was Alaska with a happiness score of 69.96.
“Alaska has clinched the title as the state with the happiest employees, boasting shorter average work weeks of 31.3 hours, a generous average wage of $52,000 per annum,” according to the study.
Apparently, money isn’t everything. Massachusetts had the highest annual salary, $58,450. But with a happiness score of 48.3, the state didn’t make the top 10.
The closest contenders to the happy state of Alaska were Rhode Island (with a score of 56.64), North Dakota (56.40), Colorado (55.76), Minnesota (55.26), Nebraska (54.91) and Maine (53.98).
Rhode Island employees rarely quit their jobs. The quit rate is only 2.4%, according to the study. The state also has a strong job market, available PTO laws and the lowest injury rate of any state. Only five fatal incidents were reported last year.
The study revealed that several southern states have dissatisfied employees:
Texas was ranked 49th on the list, with a happiness score of 30.36. The study attributed this to Texas’ workplace injury data and having the second-longest average workweek.
Florida ranked 48th with a score of 30.46. This could be due to the state’s low average wages ($38,000/year) and a long workweek.
South Carolina ranked 46th with a score of 31.65
Alabama ranked 45th with a score of 32.68.
And surprisingly enough, no U.S. state made a happiness score above 70 out of 100.
Top 10 states with the happiest employees
Alaska
Rhode Island
North Dakota
Colorado
Minnesota
Nebraska
Maine
Ohio
Arizona
Indiana
Top 10 states with the unhappiest employees
Georgia
Texas
Florida
South Carolina
New York
Alabama
Pennsylvania
Virginia
New Jersey
New Mexico
Check out the full study and findings online.
Do the findings of this study surprise you? Comment below to let us know what you think or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published December 29, 2023 at 7:15 PM