Feeling like you're clocking more hours at work than your friend who lives across the country? You just might be.
Financial website WalletHub recently analyzed data to determine the best large, U.S. cities to start a business in, comparing 182 cities, including 150 of the most populated U.S. cities plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. Those cities were then evaluated on three dimensions — business environment, access to resources and business costs, using 19 relevant metrics.
One of the key metrics to evaluate a city's business environment? The length of the average work week. While it's widely known that the number of hours worked varies greatly across industries, it turns out, it also fluctuates significantly across locations.
The information — from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2016 data — reveals that if you're working for the weekend, you might want to opt for a city like Burlington, Vermont, where the average work week is 7.5 hours shorter than that of Anchorage, Alaska.
WalletHub found that the top cities with the shortest average work week are:
1. Burlington, Vermont: 33.5 hours
2. Tallahassee, Florida: 34.9 hours
3. Providence, Rhode Island: 36 hours
4. Missoula, Montana: 36.1 hours
5. Bridgeport, Connecticut: 36.2 hours
6. Madison, Wisconsin: 36.2 hours
On the flip side, the cities with the longest average work week are:
1. Anchorage, Alaska: 41 hours
2. Corpus Christi, Texas: 40.5 hours
3. Fayetteville, North Carolina, 40.5 hours
4. Casper, Wyoming: 40.4 hours
5. Irving, Texas: 40.3 hours
6. Plano, Texas: 40.3 hours
Striking a healthy work-life balance is essential for both the health of a business as well as the health of an employee, according to research. When it comes to productivity, putting in more hours doesn't equate to getting more work done; previous studies have shown that employee output dips significantly after a 50-hour work week, and even more so after 55 hours.
Meanwhile, another study has linked people who worked more than 55 hours per week with a greater risk of heart attack and stroke, compared to those who worked 35 to 40 hours a week.
But not working enough can also be detrimental to your well-being. A survey from Cigna found that people who reported working the right amount were the least likely to experience feelings of loneliness. While those who worked more than desired had a three point uptick in loneliness on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, while those who worked less than desired had a full six point increase in loneliness.
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