South Dakota has been ranked the hardest-working state in the country in a new WalletHub study.
The 2026 report compared all 50 states across 10 measures of work ethic, including average workweek hours, employment rates, workers with multiple jobs and leisure time.
South Dakota finished first overall with a score of 64.59, narrowly ahead of North Dakota. South Dakota ranked second in direct work factors and 19th in indirect factors.
WalletHub says 6.5% of South Dakota workers hold multiple jobs, the 11th-highest rate nationally. The study also found the state has the fifth-lowest share of young adults ages 18 to 24 who are not working, not in school and have no education beyond a high school diploma.
South Dakota also had the nation’s highest employment rate, at nearly 98%.
The state ranked tied for fifth nationally in average workweek hours.
North Dakota ranked second, followed by Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming. Nebraska was sixth, while Iowa ranked 18th and Minnesota 25th.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says hard work is commendable, but workers in the hardest-working states should still make time for rest, noting that too little leisure can negatively affect physical and mental health.