US states with the worst working conditions in 2024
A recent analysis has ranked North Carolina as the worst state to work in the United States. Find out which regions have the worst working conditions.
The federal minimum wage in the United States has remained the same for the past 15 years at $7.25 per hour. However, several states in the country have minimum wages above the federal level, resulting in better pay for workers depending on the state in which they reside.
For example, Washington and California have the highest wages in the entire country, exceeding $16 per hour.
Wages are a good indicator of the state of labor conditions, but there are other factors to consider, such as workers’ benefits and the right to organize and form unions.
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States with the best working conditions
Oxfam, a coalition of anti-poverty organizations, conducted a study into the situation of American workers. According to an analysis by the group, Washington D.C. has the best working conditions in the whole country.
The study, which evaluated wages, unemployment benefits and other local policies, ranked California as the second state with the best working conditions, followed by Oregon, New York and Washington.
“These states have consistently been in the top five,” Kaitlyn Henderson, a researcher and author of the report, told CBS MoneyWatch.
“They are passing new laws on a regular basis. They are setting the standard and creating a model for what legislation can look like at the state and federal level.”
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States with the worst working conditions in the U.S. in 2024
In contrast, North Carolina ranks as the state with the worst working conditions in the United States. Factors that earned it this position for the third consecutive year include its minimum wage, which is on par with that of the federal level, and a lack of paid leave and right-to-work laws.
According to the report, states such as Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina also have questionable working conditions, placing them among the worst states to work in the country.
Henderson says this situation is resulting in “growing geographic inequality” among the country’s workers, because the people who find themselves in poor labor conditions are unable to move or relocate to another state.