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These Are the 10 U.S. States With the Happiest (And Unhappiest) Employees, According to a New Report A recent report found that employees in Alaska are the happiest in the country.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Walter Bibikow | Getty Images
Alaska is the No. 1 state where employees are the happiest.

No job is perfect, and even dream jobs come with high-stress days. But does where you live impact your overall happiness at work? According to a new report, some employees in certain states are far happier than others.

A new report by human resource platform SelectSoftware Reviews found that Alaska has the most content employees. Georgia, meanwhile, grapples with the lowest job satisfaction levels.

The report was compiled through an analysis of various performance metrics (annual incomes, resignation rates, workplace injuries, commute durations, legislation regarding paid time off (PTO), weekly working hours, and overall state happiness scores) across all 50 states with a max score of 100.

Related: These Are the Most (And Least) Happy States in the U.S. 2023, According to a New Report

Alaska earned the distinction of having the happiest employees, with a total score of 69.96. Factors such as short average workweeks (31.3) and average annual salary of $52,000 (fourth highest across the country) contributed to its No. 1 title.

In second place, Rhode Island boats a total score of 56.64, and stands out due to a modest quit rate of 2.4%. It also has the lowest injury rate among all states, with just five fatal incidents reported in the previous year. Followed by Rhode Island is North Dakota, which clinched the third-place position with a score of 56.40.

As for the unhappiest employees, workers in Georgia take the lead (or lag?) with a score of 29.62. The level of unhappiness is reflected in the state's quit rate, which was the highest of all 50 states at 3.6%. The state with the second-lowest score for happiness was Texas at 30.36 and also had the highest rate of fatalities per year at 533.

Florida had a total score of 30.46 coming in at No. 3 for the least happiest workers. Despite earning an average wage of $38,470, Floridians contend with a lengthy working week of 41.5 hours, resulting in an average hourly rate of only $18, compared to the $32 earned in Alaska.

Here are the 10 states with the happiest and unhappiest employees, along with their total scores.

Top 10 States With Happiest Employees

1. Alaska

Happiness score: 69.96

2. Rhode Island

Happiness score: 56.64

3. North Dakota

Happiness score: 56.40

4. Colorado

Happiness score: 55.76

5. Minnesota

Happiness score: 55.26

6. Nebraska

Happiness score: 54.91

7. Maine

Happiness score: 53.98

8. Ohio

Happiness score: 52.05

9. Arizona

Happiness score: 51.69

10. Indiana

Happiness score: 48.84

Top 10 States With Unhappiest Employees

1. Georgia

Happiness score: 29.62

2. Texas

Happiness score: 30.36

3. Florida

Happiness score: 30.46

4. South Carolina

Happiness score: 31.65

5. New York

Happiness score: 31.51

6. Alabama

Happiness score: 32.68

7. Pennsylvania

Happiness score: 33.26

8. Virginia

Happiness score: 33.89

9. New Jersey

Happiness score: 34.09

10. New Mexico

Happiness score: 34.25

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

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