Taking into consideration annual leave, minimum wage, healthcare access, happiness score, average working hours and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Remote.com was able to determine the number one state for overall job satisfaction.
While Connecticut is an often overlooked region, Remote’s new report reveals the state is more than just a prime suburbia for New Yorkers looking to escape the city — it’s a place where workers can achieve a great balance between their work and life.
Connecticut’s minimum wage of $14 an hour is 34% higher than the national average, while its maternity leave laws provide 12 weeks of statutory leave — well above the norm for U.S. maternity policies.
According to Remote’s index scores, the top 10 states offering the best work-life balance are:
- Connecticut
- Washington
- New York
- California
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Maine
- Massachusetts
In the U.S., paid sick leave is a matter left to individual states to decide — something that sets it apart from the rest of the world’s wealthy countries.
“It really is a scandal in the United States that there is no national paid sick days law that covers all workers,” said Sherry Leiwant, co-president of workers’ rights advocacy organization A Better Balance.