Texas City Ranked Among Hardest-Working in U.S.

Irving tops list of cities where residents work the most hours per year.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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A new report from personal finance company WalletHub has ranked the 116 largest U.S. cities by how hard their residents work, with Irving, Texas topping the list. The study looked at factors like employment rate, average weekly hours worked, and share of workers with multiple jobs to determine the hardest-working cities.

Why it matters

The findings highlight the varying work cultures and norms across different regions of the U.S., with some cities like Irving known for a strong work ethic and long hours, while others like Detroit have higher rates of households where no adults work. The data also reflects broader trends around employee engagement and the lasting impact of events like the "Great Resignation" on the American workforce.

The details

Irving, Texas had the lowest share of households where no adults work, which is 3.6 times lower than the rate in Detroit, the city with the highest. New York City had the longest average commute time, 2.6 times longer than the shortest in Fargo, North Dakota. The report also noted that employee engagement in the U.S. reached one of its lowest levels in recent years according to Gallup surveys conducted in 2024, with new terms like "Quiet Quitting" and "Great Resignation" emerging to describe workplace disengagement.

  • The WalletHub report on the 'Hardest-Working Cities in America' was released on March 5, 2026.
  • March 6, 2026 marks Employee Appreciation Day in the United States.

The players

WalletHub

A personal finance company that released the report on the hardest-working cities in America.

Dr. Linchi Kwok

A professor at Cal Poly Pomona who provided commentary on the report's findings and broader workplace trends.

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What they’re saying

“The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped how people view work, prompting many employees to reassess their priorities, expectations and definitions of success. In the U.S., employee engagement reached one of its lowest levels in recent years, according to Gallup surveys conducted in 2024.”

— Dr. Linchi Kwok, Professor, Cal Poly Pomona

The takeaway

The report highlights the diversity of work cultures across the U.S., with some cities like Irving, Texas known for a strong work ethic and long hours, while others struggle with lower rates of workforce participation. The data also reflects broader shifts in employee sentiment and engagement in recent years, underscoring the need for companies to re-evaluate their approaches to retaining and motivating their workforce.