Utah has nation's lowest burnout risk, study finds
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Utahns have a lower risk of burnout than workers in any other state, a new study reveals.
Driving the news: Relatively low weekly work hours and short commutes mean Utah scored dead last for burnout risk in national rankings of "hustle culture" by the employment website Lensa.
- The study also reviewed wage data and Google searches for the word "burnout."
By the numbers: Utahns work 37.1 hours per week on average, the lowest in the nation, according to American Community Survey data from 2019 and 2021.
- At 22 minutes, Utah had the 11th-shortest average commute of any state.
Zoom in: In a separate study by the remote access technology company Kisi, Salt Lake City ranked No. 1 in the nation for work-life balance.
- A 2017 survey by Slack also ranked Salt Lake No. 1 for work-life balance, citing the 72% of workers who said they seldom have to be available for after-hours work and the 90% who said their lives were well-balanced or somewhat balanced.
- A 2019 study by the personal finance company Fabric ranked three Utah metro areas in the top 10, with Provo-Orem at the very top.
Between the lines: Women's weekly work hours are likely driving down the state's average.
- Utah has the highest share of women working part time and the lowest share working full time of any state, according to 2021 census data.
- Having one stay-at-home parent while the other works full time is the most desired family arrangement, according to statewide polling in 2022; two parents working full time was the least desired.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has historically discouraged mothers from working outside the home, and members have described a stigma against women who pursue careers.
Of note: The Lensa study uses the total number of Google searches for "burnout" and wage data unadjusted for the cost of living.
- Axios calculated search volume per capita and adjusted wage data according to average rent in each state. Using Lensa's scoring formula, Utah still ranks in the bottom three states for burnout risk despite high housing costs.