BSWI cover 2023

Best and worst states to work in America 2023

Each year, the Best States to Work Index assesses and ranks the U.S. states on labor laws that determine compensation, conditions, and rights for workers. The 2023 report features an important retrospective of the past five years.

This index illustrates the states of working America. You can see which states have the most robust laws to mandate adequate wages, safe conditions, and rights to organize.

States have had to step up for workers and their families in the past few decades, as Congress has stalled on taking action. For example, while the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for 14 years, most states have mandated higher wages.

This year's edition features new data points, and takes a look back at how the landscape has changed over the past five years.

This index ranks all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

Explore the 2023 interactive map to see how the states score

Previous editions of the BSWI

Full 2023 data in this spreadsheet

Author

Dr. Kaitlyn Henderson

Publication date

Publication type

Research