DC ranked the hardest-working city in US — with NYC coming in at just No. 99

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New York has a lot of work to do to rise on this list.

Washington, DC, has been named the hardest-working city in America — ranking high above New York, which came in just 99th on the list, according to a study done by WalletHub.

Even Jersey City and Columbus, Ohio, outranked the City That Never Sleeps, pulling in at 56 and 68, respectively.

“Most everybody in this country are hard workers, but Washington, DC? I mean, they’re hard workers, too, but still…” David Owens, 79, who owns a vintage shop in the Lower East Side, told The Post.

“I’m surprised that NY is number 99. I’m sure most New Yorkers would feel they’re No. 1.” 

DC pulled a total score of 76.97 compared to New York’s score of 53.70.

The capital took the crown due to factors such as having the “highest share of workers who leave vacation time unused,” with 64% of workers doing so, according to the study.

Washington, DC, sparkles at the top of the list of 116 highly-populated cities as it holds the trophy for the hardest-working city in America. SeanPavonePhoto – stock.adobe.com

The study determined a city’s rank based on 11 metrics that were divided into two sections: “Direct Work Factors,” which took up 80% of the score, and “Indirect Work Factors.” The study also included a city from every state.

Some direct working factors included an average number of hours worked per week, employment rate, and shares of households where no adults worked, among others.

Indirect factors included those working multiple jobs and the average commute time, among others.

The country’s capital ranked third for highest hours worked per week on average, although the study did not say how many hours that included.

The average American works roughly 35 hours per week, WalletHub said.

Another reason the District of Columbia residents ranked high is because many have a commute longer than 30 minutes to the office.

NYC ranked 99th only scored a measly 53.70 for hard working residents. However, most New Yorkers have a longer commute time than those in the nation’s capital – one of the factors determined in the study. THANANIT – stock.adobe.com

The average commuter in the Big Apple takes more than 60 minutes to get to work, with 15.5% of travelers falling in this category, according to 2022 US Census data. The average travel time is 31.4 minutes.

According to Census data, the average commute in DC is 30.1 minutes, with 21.5% of commuters falling in the 20 to 25-minute range. Compared to NYC, only 7.7% of commuters take more than 60 minutes to get to work.

Many might be surprised to see Irving, Texas, taking the second spot on the list, but WalletHub explains the Southern city is there due to having the lowest share of households where no adults work, with 11% falling in that category.

Many might be surprised to see Irving, Texas, taking the second spot on the list, but WalletHub explains the Southern city is there due to having the lowest share of households where no adults work.
Although it did not explain why NYC ranked so low, many residents told The Post they disagreed. “Most everybody in this country are hard workers, but Washington DC? I mean, they’re hard workers too, but still…” David Owens, 79, said.

It also ranked ninth in the country for longest hours worked and having a lower amount of leisure time, according to the study.

Cheyenne, Wyoming, takes third, as 97% of adults work.

Although it did not explain why NYC ranked so low, many residents told The Post they disagreed.

“I don’t know how it’s possible for NYC to rank so low given how expensive life here is and how long and hard people have to work in order to afford to live here,” NYU professor Zhana Vrangalova, 42, said.

The study determined a city’s rank based on 11 key metrics that were divided into two sections: “Direct Work Factors,” which took up 80% of the score, and “Indirect Work Factors.” The study also included a city from every state.

“This year I’ve been working an average of 10 hours a day, six days a week, sometimes seven.”

Carol, 69, who works in publishing, said: “New Yorkers work really hard. I think that must be wrong.”

One New Yorker, however, agreed with the study.

“The problem with New York is that a lot of people don’t work because the state helps out so much — it makes people lazy,” said Johnny Garcia, a 55-year-old Lyft driver who moved to the Bronx from the Dominican Republic eight years ago.

“The state gives money for everything. Here everyone walks around with coupons. That’s why no one works.”

The Post has reached out to WalletHub for comment.

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