The pandemic has upended every aspect of American life, and the workplace is no exception. Since the onset of the virus, job burnout has become an issue with many workers across the country. (These are the companies with the best work-life balance during COVID.)
Among workplace concerns are increased and hard-to-manage workloads, few rewards, lack of control, and social isolation. This can lead to stressed-out workers who are exhausted and have trouble focusing on the job, diminishing their productivity.
To find the U.S. states with the highest burnout risk, 24/7 Wall St. examined data from the job search engine Lensa. Lensa created a ranking system to determine the states with the highest rate of burnout based on working time per week, annual salary, commute time, and the number of Google searches for the term “burnout.”
You might think the most stressed-out states would be in the Northeast, the nation’s most economically developed and densely populated region. But according to the data, 15 of the 24 states where burnout is a concern are in the South, and in fact the top five – Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, and South Carolina – are all Southern states.
Click here to see states with the highest burnout risk.
Texas ranks first overall because it is in the top five for longest working hours, with employees averaging 40 hours per week. The Lone Star State is in second place for its workforce searching for the term “burnout” on Google. (Compare how long the typical work week is around the world.)
Tied for second place are Florida and Louisiana. The Sunshine State places so high for having the longest commutes – 28 minutes – and ranks fourth for “burnout” Google searches. Louisiana, sharing second place, has the longest average working hours. Workers in the state are also among the lowest paid: Louisiana is one of four states on the list whose workers average less than $60,000 annually.
24. Missouri
> Burnout score: 5.1
> Working time per week: 38 hours 54 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $64,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 24 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 9,630
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23. Arizona
> Burnout score: 5.1
> Working time per week: 38 hours 42 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $68,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 26 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 11,580
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22. California
> Burnout score: 5.2
> Working time per week: 38 hours 12 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $84,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 30 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 104,400
21. Washington
> Burnout score: 5.4
> Working time per week: 38 hours 42 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $78,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 28 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 20,400
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20. New York
> Burnout score: 5.4
> Working time per week: 38 hours 12 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $75,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 34 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 48,000
19. Kentucky
> Burnout score: 5.5
> Working time per week: 39 hours 0 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $61,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 24 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 5,640
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18. Colorado
> Burnout score: 5.5
> Working time per week: 39 hours 6 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $71,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 26 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 13,260
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17. New Jersey
> Burnout score: 5.6
> Working time per week: 38 hours 36 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $72,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 32 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 19,400
16. Arkansas
> Burnout score: 5.6
> Working time per week: 39 hours 18 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $58,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 22 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 3,370
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15. Georgia
> Burnout score: 5.7
> Working time per week: 39 hours 24 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $66,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 29 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 1,480
14. Maryland
> Burnout score: 5.8
> Working time per week: 38 hours 48 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $72,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 33 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 13,200
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13. Oklahoma
> Burnout score: 5.9
> Working time per week: 39 hours 54 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $61,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 22 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 5,150
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12. Alabama
> Burnout score: 5.9
> Working time per week: 39 hours 12 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $63,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 25 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 5,620
11. North Carolina
> Burnout score: 6.0
> Working time per week: 39 hours 0 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $65,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 25 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 19,500
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10. Virginia
> Burnout score: 6.2
> Working time per week: 39 hours 0 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $71,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 29 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 19,800
9. Illinois
> Burnout score: 6.2
> Working time per week: 38 hours 42 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $70,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 29 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 26,300
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8. Pennsylvania
> Burnout score: 6.2
> Working time per week: 38 hours 42 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $66,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 27 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 23,500
7. Mississippi
> Burnout score: 6.3
> Working time per week: 39 hours 18 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $54,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 25 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 2,420
6. West Virginia
> Burnout score: 6.4
> Working time per week: 39 hours 18 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $57,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 26 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 1,900
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5. South Carolina
> Burnout score: 6.5
> Working time per week: 39 hours 12 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $60,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 25 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 6,420
4. Tennessee
> Burnout score: 6.8
> Working time per week: 39 hours 18 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $62,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 25 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 9,760
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3. Louisiana
> Burnout score: 7.1
> Working time per week: 39 hours 3 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $59,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 26 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 4,880
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2. Florida
> Burnout score: 7.1
> Working time per week: 38 hours 54 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $64,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 28 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 37,100
1. Texas
> Burnout score: 7.3
> Working time per week: 40 hours 0 minutes
> Avg. annual salary: $70,000
> Avg. one-way commute time: 27 minutes
> Annual Google searches for “burnout”: 54,000
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