A new study ranking the hardest-working working states has Michigan dead last, but why?

This isn't the first time that WalletHub, a website that publishes a number of these city and state ranking lists based on their analysis of statistical data, has taken aim at Michigan. I previously took issue with their worst place ranking of The Mitten for scenery for fairly obvious reasons which you can read by clicking here. The reason I mention this is because I feel that it's important to reiterate that you can't accurately quantify things like beauty or human effort by looking at numbers in a spreadsheet.

That being said, on to the results.

Hardest Working States

1Alaska
2North Dakota
3Wyoming
4South Dakota
5Nebraska
6New Hampshire
7Texas
8Colorado
9Virginia
10Kansas
45Ohio
46Oregon
47New Mexico
48West Virginia
49Rhode Island
50Michigan

The rankings are based on a number of factors, the heaviest weighted of which include Average Workweek Hours, Employment Rate of Civilian Population Aged 16 Years and Older, Share of Households where No Adults Work, Share of Workers Leaving Vacation Time Unused, and Share of Engaged Workers (those who are “involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace" as defined by Gallup).

There were also some lesser factors considered in the study as well, including Average Commute Time, Share of Workers with Multiple Jobs, Annual Volunteer Hours per Resident Average, and Leisure Time Spent per Day.

Some of the aforementioned factors that hurt Michigan's standing on the list the most include being the state spending the fifth highest amount of leisure time per day and tying for fifth in lowest average workweek hours.

I get the inclusion of unemployment factors and such in the rankings, but just because you enjoy the free time you do have outside of work that doesn't mean you're not a hard-worker. I wonder if they've ever heard the phrase "work hard, play hard" over at WalletHub.

Also, if your vacation time goes unused, that doesn't mean you're a hard worker -- it means you're an idiot. Some people have vacation hours that, for whatever reasons, they are unable to take. That's fine and sometimes is out of your control. However, if you willingly sacrifice your vacation hours, which you should treat as part of your pay, that's on you, homeboy. Don't look down on others for wanting to live their life.

In short, WalletHub and this study can suck it.

[Source: WalletHub]

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