This browser does not support the Video element.
2026 job market for recent college grads: Tips to navigate working in the real world
FOX Local spoke with Barry Garapedian, CEO and president of MAG 7 Consulting firm, which caters to mentoring high-school and college-aged students, to discuss tips on how recent graduates can navigate the job market and why it may feel harder for younger generations to get a job right out of school.
A new analysis reveals that the amount Americans work varies significantly by state.
WalletHub compared all 50 states across 10 indicators grouped into two categories: "Direct Work Factors" and "Indirect Work Factors." The measures included average weekly hours worked, the percentage of workers holding multiple jobs and the amount of leisure time people had each day.
South Dakota Takes the Top Spot
Big picture view:
South Dakota ranked No. 1 as the hardest working state, with several indicators contributing to its position.
About 6.5% of workers in the state held multiple jobs, the 11th-highest rate nationwide. While working multiple jobs can indicate that a primary position does not provide sufficient income, WalletHub said the figure can also reflect the willingness of South Dakotans to work additional hours.
The ranking considered 10 measures, including workweek hours, employment rates, multiple-job holders, unused vacation time and leisure time. (Credit: Getty Images)
The state also tied as the fifth-lowest share of "idle youth" – people ages 18 to 24 who were neither working nor attending school and had no education beyond a high school diploma.
South Dakota also posted the highest employment rate in the country, at nearly 98%, another major factor behind its top ranking.
Dig deeper:
Meanwhile, North Dakota ranked second among the nation’s hardest-working states. North Dakota had the nation’s third-highest employment rate, at more than 97%, according to WalletHub.
Workers ages 16 to 64 put in an average of 39.4 hours per week, the fifth-highest figure nationwide.
Alaska ranked third overall, but its residents led the nation in one important category: hours worked.
Workers ages 16 to 64 in Alaska average 41.4 hours per week, the highest figure of any state. In fact, Alaska was the only state where the average weekly workweek exceeded 40 hours.
For comparison, workers in Washington, D.C., averaged 40 hours per week, meaning Alaska's average was 1.4 hours higher.
What they're saying:
"It’s undeniable that America has fostered a culture of hard work, with people working longer hours than residents of other developed countries and often leaving vacation time on the table," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a statement. "Working hard is commendable, but people in the hardest-working states may need to consider taking a break once in a while, as a lack of leisure time can have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health."
Hardest-working states in the US
- South Dakota
- North Dakota
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Wyoming
See the full report here.
America’s hustle culture
Why you should care:
Americans put in an average of 1,800 work hours per year, according to WalletHub citing the World Economic Forum. That’s 468 hours per year more than Germans work, but 405 fewer than Mexicans do, for example.
LAST YEAR: These are the 'hardest working states' in 2025, data suggests
In addition, nearly half of American workers don't expect to use all of their allotted vacation days, according to WalletHub.
The Source: The rankings are based on WalletHub data collected as of July 27, 2026, and published Aug. 24, 2026. This story was reported from Los Angeles.