By Dr. Tim Sandler
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
December 27, 2025
Walmart has gained market share in US grocery with higher income shoppers in an inflationary period - Copyright AFP Arif ALI
Over 130 million people hold full-time jobs in the U.S, and almost half think they are underpaid for the work they do. A new study by Affordable Contractors Insurance analysed labour markets across the U.S. to find states where employees work the longest hours while getting paid the least.
In Mississippi workers face a $9 weekly income shortfall, as living costs exceed the typical earnings from 35-hour workweeks. Continuing this, in Maine and Montana, about 8% of employees hold multiple jobs, among the highest shares observed across states.
The research focused on three main employment factors for each state: average weekly work hours, weekly disposable income, and multiple jobholder rates. Weekly disposable income was calculated by comparing average weekly earnings against total weekly expenditure to show how much money workers have left after covering basic living costs. These three factors were combined into a Workload to Income Ratio score from 1 to 99, where higher scores indicate worse conditions for workers.
As shown in the above table, Mississippi ranks first as the state with the worst balance between work hours and actual pay. Employees work an average of 35.3 hours per week at $28 an hour, earning about $992 weekly. With basic living costs at USD 1,001, workers here face a $9 shortfall even while working full-time. Additionally, 4.3% of residents hold multiple jobs to improve their situation.
Wyoming comes second to Mississippi. Employees here spend 35.2 hours at work, bringing home roughly USD 1,116 at the end of the week. Yet with weekly expenses of $1,092, they are left with just $25 in disposable income after covering necessities. Around 6% of workers also take on multiple jobs in an effort to boost their earnings.
In third place is North Dakota, where residents work 35.9 hours weekly (among the longest in the top 10) and earn USD 34.76 hourly. This adds up to $1,248 in earnings, and with $1,069 in expenses, workers can keep USD 178 after bills every week. Despite averaging almost 36 hours weekly, 7.7% of North Dakotans still take on more than one job.
Louisiana follows closely, as locals face similar long hours as those in North Dakota. Salaries here average $29.71, which adds up to $1,067 weekly. With living costs at USD 929 per week, workers in Louisiana are left with $138 in spare money.
Maine is next on the list. Maine workers dedicate 33.2 hours to work each week, averaging $1,070 weekly salary. Living costs here come to USD 1,155, with employees facing $85 more in expected expenses than they earn. This situation pushes 8.2% of workers to find second jobs, the highest rate in the top 10.
Alaska takes sixth position, reporting high living costs that eat up salaries. Workers here earn around $1,332, spending 35.3 hours weekly on the job. New Hampshire also appears in the top 10. Jobholders here work 33.3 hours, earning $35.29, which translates to $1,175 in weekly income. Ranking eighth, Pennsylvania reports in 34.4-hour work weeks and $32.52 hourly pay. With this, average workers receive USD 1,119 in weekly earnings.
West Virginia ranks ninth with one of the longest workweeks in the top 10. Employees here work an extended 35.4 hours, earning USD 1,058 per week. Montana completes the top 10 states where employees work the longest hours for low salaries. Work weeks here last 33.7 hours, and with a $32.35 rate, employees can earn $1,090.
December 27, 2025
Walmart has gained market share in US grocery with higher income shoppers in an inflationary period - Copyright AFP Arif ALI
Over 130 million people hold full-time jobs in the U.S, and almost half think they are underpaid for the work they do. A new study by Affordable Contractors Insurance analysed labour markets across the U.S. to find states where employees work the longest hours while getting paid the least.
In Mississippi workers face a $9 weekly income shortfall, as living costs exceed the typical earnings from 35-hour workweeks. Continuing this, in Maine and Montana, about 8% of employees hold multiple jobs, among the highest shares observed across states.
The research focused on three main employment factors for each state: average weekly work hours, weekly disposable income, and multiple jobholder rates. Weekly disposable income was calculated by comparing average weekly earnings against total weekly expenditure to show how much money workers have left after covering basic living costs. These three factors were combined into a Workload to Income Ratio score from 1 to 99, where higher scores indicate worse conditions for workers.
Top 10 states where employees work the longest hours while getting paid the least
| State | Average Weekly Hours | Weekly Disposable Income | Multiple Jobholders’ Rate | Workload to Income Ratio |
| Mississippi | 35.3 | -9 | 4.3 | 99 |
| Wyoming | 35.2 | 25 | 6.0 | 95 |
| North Dakota | 35.9 | 178 | 7.7 | 83 |
| Louisiana | 35.9 | 138 | 4.4 | 81 |
| Maine | 33.2 | -85 | 8.2 | 80 |
| Alaska | 35.3 | 125 | 7.5 | 79 |
| New Hampshire | 33.3 | -89 | 6.5 | 77 |
| Pennsylvania | 34.4 | 25 | 6.0 | 75 |
| West Virginia | 35.4 | 145 | 4.8 | 67 |
| Montana | 33.7 | 30 | 7.8 | 63 |
Wyoming comes second to Mississippi. Employees here spend 35.2 hours at work, bringing home roughly USD 1,116 at the end of the week. Yet with weekly expenses of $1,092, they are left with just $25 in disposable income after covering necessities. Around 6% of workers also take on multiple jobs in an effort to boost their earnings.
In third place is North Dakota, where residents work 35.9 hours weekly (among the longest in the top 10) and earn USD 34.76 hourly. This adds up to $1,248 in earnings, and with $1,069 in expenses, workers can keep USD 178 after bills every week. Despite averaging almost 36 hours weekly, 7.7% of North Dakotans still take on more than one job.
Louisiana follows closely, as locals face similar long hours as those in North Dakota. Salaries here average $29.71, which adds up to $1,067 weekly. With living costs at USD 929 per week, workers in Louisiana are left with $138 in spare money.
Maine is next on the list. Maine workers dedicate 33.2 hours to work each week, averaging $1,070 weekly salary. Living costs here come to USD 1,155, with employees facing $85 more in expected expenses than they earn. This situation pushes 8.2% of workers to find second jobs, the highest rate in the top 10.
Alaska takes sixth position, reporting high living costs that eat up salaries. Workers here earn around $1,332, spending 35.3 hours weekly on the job. New Hampshire also appears in the top 10. Jobholders here work 33.3 hours, earning $35.29, which translates to $1,175 in weekly income. Ranking eighth, Pennsylvania reports in 34.4-hour work weeks and $32.52 hourly pay. With this, average workers receive USD 1,119 in weekly earnings.
West Virginia ranks ninth with one of the longest workweeks in the top 10. Employees here work an extended 35.4 hours, earning USD 1,058 per week. Montana completes the top 10 states where employees work the longest hours for low salaries. Work weeks here last 33.7 hours, and with a $32.35 rate, employees can earn $1,090.
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