Best and Worst States to Work in America 2021
Workers in the US face dramatically different conditions based simply on where they live. Because the federal government has failed for decades to pass updates in labor laws, it has fallen to the states to determine wages, conditions, and rights.
The result is an ever-changing crazy patchwork of laws that have deepened inequality on geographic lines, and left millions of working families struggling to stay afloat.
As our economy inches toward recovery, it’s time to demand that the federal government step up and raise the bar for all workers in the US. Take action.
Find out more in our report | View the map for working women
Overall score: How the states rank
How does your state rank? The index covers all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This map illustrates the combined scores of the three dimensions (wage policies, worker protections, rights to organize).
State scorecards
Review full information on how each state scores on the full range of labor policies.
The three policy areas: How the states rank
The Best States to Work Index: How the states rank overall and by policy area
| 1 | Oregon | 85.68 | 67.34 | 96.43 | 100.00 |
| 2 | New York | 85.46 | 69.89 | 92.86 | 100.00 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 85.22 | 78.66 | 89.29 | 90.00 |
| 4 | California | 84.20 | 66.74 | 92.86 | 100.00 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 83.45 | 78.41 | 77.38 | 100.00 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 80.81 | 67.65 | 89.29 | 90.00 |
| 7 | Washington | 80.05 | 87.63 | 71.43 | 80.00 |
| 8 | Connecticut | 76.79 | 66.97 | 85.71 | 80.00 |
| 9 | Colorado | 71.88 | 73.46 | 71.43 | 70.00 |
| 10 | Illinois | 70.95 | 61.76 | 64.29 | 95.00 |
| 11 | Maine | 68.97 | 72.42 | 57.14 | 80.00 |
| 12 | Vermont | 68.91 | 62.90 | 60.71 | 90.00 |
| 13 | New Mexico | 67.89 | 62.44 | 61.90 | 85.00 |
| 14 | Hawaii | 64.29 | 45.11 | 75.00 | 80.00 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 62.36 | 54.85 | 58.33 | 80.00 |
| 16 | Maryland | 62.03 | 58.21 | 50.00 | 85.00 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 61.06 | 56.82 | 45.24 | 90.00 |
| 18 | Puerto Rico | 60.29 | 28.85 | 82.14 | 80.00 |
| 19 | Nevada | 55.81 | 62.43 | 52.38 | 50.00 |
| 20 | Alaska | 52.72 | 62.02 | 26.19 | 75.00 |
| 21 | Ohio | 51.61 | 40.49 | 33.33 | 95.00 |
| 22 | Arizona | 50.69 | 72.56 | 40.48 | 30.00 |
| 23 | Virginia | 49.97 | 32.22 | 59.52 | 65.00 |
| 24 | Delaware | 47.92 | 32.30 | 42.86 | 80.00 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 46.35 | 32.54 | 45.24 | 70.00 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | 45.44 | 24.03 | 45.24 | 80.00 |
| 27 | Montana | 43.99 | 49.56 | 26.19 | 60.00 |
| 28 | South Dakota | 43.27 | 60.25 | 26.19 | 40.00 |
| 29 | Michigan | 38.48 | 44.13 | 30.95 | 40.00 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 38.46 | 20.10 | 26.19 | 85.00 |
| 31 | Missouri | 38.26 | 43.58 | 23.81 | 50.00 |
| 32 | Florida | 36.22 | 30.13 | 26.19 | 60.00 |
| 33 | West Virginia | 33.11 | 37.99 | 33.33 | 25.00 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 30.43 | 46.91 | 26.19 | 10.00 |
| 35 | Iowa | 27.78 | 21.53 | 26.19 | 40.00 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | 26.98 | 19.53 | 26.19 | 40.00 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 26.82 | 12.88 | 33.33 | 40.00 |
| 38 | Indiana | 26.63 | 6.17 | 26.19 | 60.00 |
| 39 | Wyoming | 25.67 | 22.50 | 19.05 | 40.00 |
| 40 | North Dakota | 25.19 | 21.30 | 26.19 | 30.00 |
| 41 | Idaho | 24.75 | 13.95 | 33.33 | 30.00 |
| 42 | Louisiana | 24.35 | 8.80 | 38.10 | 30.00 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 24.25 | 9.59 | 33.33 | 35.00 |
| 44 | Tennessee | 23.34 | 10.42 | 33.33 | 30.00 |
| 45 | Utah | 22.72 | 8.87 | 40.48 | 20.00 |
| 46 | Kansas | 21.44 | 8.82 | 19.05 | 45.00 |
| 47 | Texas | 17.01 | 13.36 | 19.05 | 20.00 |
| 48 | South Carolina | 12.12 | 1.13 | 33.33 | 0.00 |
| 49 | Alabama | 10.63 | 7.82 | 14.29 | 10.00 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 8.08 | 7.70 | 0.00 | 20.00 |
| 51 | Georgia | 7.47 | 8.26 | 11.90 | 0.00 |
| 52 | North Carolina | 6.19 | 5.06 | 11.90 | 0.00 |
Methodology
All data is based on laws and policies in effect as of July 1, 2021.
The index is based on state policies in three dimensions: wages (40% of overall score); worker protections (35% of overall score); and rights to organize (25% of overall score).
View full spreadsheets of the data.
Wage policies
Do workers earn a wage that is sufficient to provide for them and their families? Among the data points in this dimension:
- The ratio of the state minimum wage in relation to the cost of living for a family of four with one wage earner. The living wage figure is from the MIT Living Wage Calculator
- The ratio of a tipped minimum wage to the state minimum wage.
- Whether or not the state allows localities to implement their own minimum wage laws.
- Whether or not states include farmworkers in their minimum wages.
- How well average unemployment payments cover cost of living for a family of four.
Worker protection policies
This dimension considers the quality of life for workers, especially women and parents. Among the data points in this dimension:
- Protections for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
- Mandates for equal pay, pay secrecy, and no salary history.
- Mandates for paid sick and family leave.
- Protections around flexible scheduling, reporting pay, split shift pay, advance notice.
- Protections against sexual harassment.
- Extension of state workers’ compensation to farmworkers (a federally excluded labor group).
- Extension of workers’ rights and protections to domestic workers (a federally excluded labor group).
Right to organize policies
This dimension asks whether workers have the right to organize and sustain a trade union. Among the data points in this dimension:
- State “right to work” law (which suppresses union activity).
- Public employee (teachers used as a case study) right to collective bargaining and wage negotiation.
- Mandates for project labor agreements with state government.
- Mandates for protection against retaliation.
- Statewide policies on collective bargaining for public workers.