ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia has come in at #1 in a rather undesirable contest: Employees in the Peach State are the unhappiest of any employees in the country, according to new research.
SelectSoftware Reviews conducted a nationwide survey evaluating each state based on wages, quit rates, commute times, working hours, injuries, paid time off and state positivity levels.
Georgia came in at dead last for happiness on the job, scoring just 29.62 on the survey, as opposed to the happiest state, which scored 69.96.
According to the survey, Georgia had the highest quit rate, ranked generally poorly for happiness across the state and deals with -- you guessed it-- hefty commute times.
To the surprise of no one, the average Georgia worker spends 28.7 minutes in the car to get to work.
Alaska came in first in part due to shorter work weeks at 31.3 hours and an average wage of $52,000. Massachusetts boasts the highest average wage of any state at $58,450. Believe it or not, New York had the longest commute of any state on the list, at an average of 33.5 minutes.
“Although many people might assume that a job is the same wherever you are, these results demonstrate the considerable impact a location can have on how workers feel about their job, whether that is due to state laws, commute times, or wages. It emphasizes the importance for employers to create environments where employees find genuine fulfillment and can thrive,” the company wrote.
SelectSoftware Reviews compiled their data using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Stats America, Bankrage, Paycor and Scholaroo.
Here’s the score for how each state ranks for worker happiness by state:
1: Alaska -- 69.96
2: Rhode Island -- 56.64
3. North Dakota -- 56.40
4. Colorado -- 55.76
5. Minnesota -- 55.26
6. Nebraska -- 54.91
7. Maine -- 53.98
8. Ohio -- 52.05
9. Arizona --51.69
10. Indiana -- 48.84
11. Massachusetts-- 48.33
12. West Virginia -- 48.31
13. California -- 46.92
14. Maryland -- 45.92
15. Hawaii -- 44.01
16. Illinois -- 43.70
17. Utah -- 43.41
18. Washington -- 42.95
19. Oklahoma -- 42.98
20. Vermont -- 42.11
21. Louisiana -- 41.46
22. Oregon -- 40.35
23. Wyoming -- 40.37
24. Iowa -- 39.50
25. Connecticut -- 39.28
26. Kansas -- 39.36
27. Missouri -- 39.34
28. North Carolina -- 38.95
29. Mississippi -- 37.58
30. South Dakota -- 37.24
31. Montana -- 36.97
32. Arkansas -- 36.58
33. New Hampshire -- 36.64
34. Wisconsin -- 36.49
35. Nevada -- 36.06
36. Michigan -- 35.88
37. Tennessee -- 35.87
38. Idaho -- 35.45
39. Kentucky -- 35.07
40. Delaware -- 34.60
41. New Mexico -- 34.25
42. New Jersey -- 34.09
43. Virginia -- 33.89
44. Pennsylvania -- 33.26
45. Alabama -- 32.68
46. South Carolina -- 31.65
47, New York -- 31.51
48. Florida -- 30.46
49. Texas -- 30.36
50. Georgia -- 29.62