Best and Worst States to Work in America 2020

Millions of working families are currently struggling to stay afloat. As the federal government has failed to advance labor laws that would help, some states have stepped up to make vital improvements in wages and conditions.

How does your state rank? This index ranks all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Find out more in our report. (Please note: Oxfam also produced a special edition of the index this year: Best and Worst States to Work in America – During COVID-19.)


Overall score: How the states rank

The index has three dimensions: Wage policies, worker protection policies, and right to organize policies. This map illustrates the combined scores.

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State scorecards

Review full information on how each state scores on the full range of labor policies.

View scorecard

The Three Policy Areas: How the States Rank

Select a policy area:
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Wage Policies

Most states have raised minimum wages above the federal threshold of $7.25 (a poverty wage). These boosts make a solid difference. For example, in the District of Columbia, a full-time minimum wage job pays $31,200 annually ($15 an hour); in neighboring Virginia, the same job pays $15,080 annually ($7.25 an hour).

Among the data points in this dimension: What is the ratio of the state minimum wage to the cost of living for a family of four? What is the ratio of the state minimum tipped wage to the minimum wage? Do state minimum wage laws cover farmworkers (who are “excluded” from federal labor laws)?


The Best States to Work Index: How the states rank overall and by policy area

According to economic correlations, good ratings on labor policies definitely relate to positive economic and health indicators. For example, states with higher scores have longer life expectancy and lower infant mortality rates.

State Rankings, sorted by Rank (ascending)
1California87.6871.9393.75100.00
2District of Columbia86.2983.4680.21100.00
3New York84.3469.5387.50100.00
4Washington82.5092.8675.0080.00
5Oregon81.9059.0190.63100.00
6Massachusetts78.6764.0484.3890.00
7New Jersey76.1949.8390.6390.00
8Connecticut74.3958.9984.3880.00
9Puerto Rico70.1836.2284.3895.00
10Illinois65.9056.1656.2595.00
11Vermont65.1754.0659.3890.00
12Colorado63.1971.0258.3360.00
13Maine62.9165.4550.0080.00
14Rhode Island60.3142.5663.5480.00
15New Mexico59.1946.5054.1785.00
16Hawaii59.1645.2258.3380.00
17Maryland57.5151.2245.8385.00
18Minnesota54.4346.0039.5890.00
19Arizona51.6078.3841.6730.00
20Ohio50.6843.6029.1795.00
21Nevada48.5157.6439.5850.00
22Alaska48.2958.2022.9275.00
23Montana46.1155.5429.1760.00
24Delaware44.5534.4231.2580.00
25New Hampshire43.3721.5439.5880.00
26Nebraska42.6338.4629.1770.00
27South Dakota41.7664.5522.9240.00
28Pennsylvania36.5417.5022.9285.00
29Michigan35.5241.9627.0840.00
30Florida34.9530.8022.9260.00
31Missouri33.6041.2316.6750.00
32West Virginia33.0143.1229.1725.00
33Idaho30.3217.5829.1750.00
34Arkansas29.6444.2022.9220.00
35Indiana27.9810.8822.9260.00
36Wisconsin27.2523.1122.9240.00
37Virginia27.0415.3541.6720.00
38Iowa26.9222.1622.9240.00
39North Dakota25.3924.9222.9230.00
40Wyoming25.3224.7216.6740.00
41Kentucky25.2210.1529.1740.00
42Utah24.0113.8335.4220.00
43Oklahoma23.869.8329.1735.00
44Louisiana23.557.7633.3330.00
45Tennessee23.1611.4029.1730.00
46Kansas21.229.4316.6745.00
47Texas16.7214.4316.6720.00
48South Carolina14.287.4629.170.00
49Alabama9.4610.378.3310.00
50Mississippi8.6310.370.0020.00
51Georgia8.625.594.1720.00
52North Carolina6.556.8210.420.00

Methodology

All data is based on laws and policies in effect as of August 31, 2020.

The index is based on state policies in three dimensions: wages (35% of overall score); worker protections (40% of overall score); and right to organize (25% of overall score).

View full spreadsheets of the data.

Wage policies

Do workers earn a living wage that is sufficient to provide for them and their families? Among the data points in this dimension:

  • The ratio of the actual 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 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.

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 family leave.
  • Mandates for paid sick 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.