Best and Worst States
to Work in America 2019
Increasingly, workers are not sharing in the bounty of our thriving economy — and the federal government is not willing to make changes that matter. Some states are taking steps to keep working families out of poverty, and to give them a decent chance. How does your state rank?
Find out more in our report, view full spreadsheets of the data, or review the methodology.
Alaska ranks #19
Alaska ranks #19 overall; #19 for wage policies, #37 for worker protection policies, and #1 for rights to organize. In Alaska, the minimum wage is $9.89.
How does Alaska score in the policy areas?
Wage policies ranking: #19
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The minimum wage is $9.89
This is 36.7 percent of the living wage for a family of four ($26.94). - Localities in Alaska do not have the capacity to raise the local minimum wage if they choose.
Worker Protection policies ranking: #37
Alaska:
- Does not provide accommodations for pregnant workers.
- Does not offer protections for workplace breastfeeding.
- Does mandate equal pay across gender and race.
- Does not prohibit pay secrecy practices in the workplace.
- Does not restrict access to salary history to reduce gender and racial bias.
- Does not mandate job protected leave for non-FMLA workers.
- Does not mandate job protected leave longer than is required by FMLA.
- Does not provide some form of paid family leave.
- Does not provide some form of paid sick leave.
- Does not provide flexible scheduling of worker shifts.
- Does not mandate pay reporting or ‘call-in’ pay by employers.
- Does not provide split shift pay regulation.
- Does not provide workers advanced notice of shift scheduling.
- Does provide some form of sexual harassment protection in state law.
Right to organize policies ranking: #1*
Alaska:
- Does not have a so-called “Right-to-Work” law (which suppresses unions).
- Does provide both collective bargaining and wage negotiations to teachers.
- Does provide both collective bargaining and wage negotiations to police officers.
- Does provide both collective bargaining and wage negotiations to firefighters.
- Does fully legalize project labor agreements to ensure a fair wage to workers on contract.
* 21 states tie for #1.
How does Alaska compare to other states in the region?
Alaska is ranked first in the nation. It leads the nation with laws aimed to improve compensation and conditions in the workplace.
Alaska is ranked last in the nation in compensation, worker protections, and rights to organize.
Alaska is ranked first in the Far West region. It leads the region with laws aimed to improve compensation and conditions in the workplace.
Alaska is ranked last in the Far West region. It falls behind the region in compensation and conditions in the workplace.
Alaska and Hawaii rank closely in the labor index.
California leads the Far West region through worker protections and livable wages. It has a minimum wage of $12.00 per hour, 39.1 percent of what it takes a family of four to live in the state. In Alaska, the minimum wage is $9.89, 36.7 percent of the livable wage for a working family.
Best States to Work Index by US Bureau of Economic Analysis region
Average index score by Bureau of Economic Analysis region
Methodology
All data is based on laws and policies in effect as of July 1, 2019.
The index is based on state policies in three dimensions; each accounts for a third of the final 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? This dimension includes two areas:
- The ratio of the actual state minimum wage in relation to the “living wage” for a family of four with one wage earner. The living wage figure is from the MIT Living Wage Calculator 1.
- Whether or not the state allows localities to implement their own minimum wage laws 2.
Worker protection policies
This dimension considers the quality of life for workers, especially women and parents. The policies include:
- Protections for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
- Mandates for equal pay, pay secrecy, and no salary history.
- Leave for non-FMLA workers because of less time on the job; leave longer than federal FMLA.
- Mandate for paid sick leave.
- Protections around flexible scheduling, reporting pay, split shift pay, advance notice.
- Protections around sexual harassment.
Right to organize policies
Do workers have the right to organize and sustain a trade union?
- Does the state have a so-called “Right to Work” law (which suppresses union activity)?
- Do public employees (teachers, police, firefighters) have rights to collective bargaining and wage negotiation?
- Are project labor agreements for government contracts available?
- MIT Living Wage Calculator.
- Local control over the minimum wage is based on Input provided by the National Employment Law Project.