States With The Highest Worker Burnout

These days, many working adults feel burnout in one form or another. A 2024 survey from Eagle Hill Consulting found that 55% of U.S. workers reported feeling burned out in the past year.

A new analysis from Nutrition NC looked into where burnout risk is most concentrated across the country, evaluating 49 states (excluding Kentucky for lack of data) using a weighted index built on five pillars: workload intensity, burnout‑related Google search sentiment, health‑related productivity loss, access to mental‑health providers, and commute burden.

Nutrition NC’s CMO Natalie Mootz says, “The data shows concerning levels of burnout risk in many states, especially those combining long work hours with limited mental health resources.”

Since each factor was measured differently, like hours, percentages, and search scores, the researchers first converted everything into a common 0–100 scale. That way, they could compare states fairly and calculate one overall burnout score for each.

At the top of the high‑risk list for burnout sits Texas, scoring 65.18 out of 100. This number was driven by long 43.4‑hour workweeks and relatively limited access to mental‑health providers. Next was Virginia, with the highest average weekly hours worked of the bunch at 45.8.  Louisiana came in third, tying Virginia for the longest work week in the nation at 45.8 hours.

Of the top ten, New York leads by far in extreme commutes, with 17.2% of residents traveling more than an hour each way.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Alaska stands out as the least burnout‑prone state with a score of 24.30, thanks to its remarkably short 31.8‑hour average workweek. South Carolina and Wisconsin also land among the lowest‑risk states, with moderate weekly work hours and manageable commute times.

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