Residents of San Francisco have earned a reputation as some of the most industrious workers in the United States, particularly when compared to their Southern California counterparts, who appear to have some catching up to do.

According to a recent WalletHub report, which ranks America’s hardest-working cities, San Francisco boasts the most diligent workforce in California, securing the 8th position on the national scale. This places them ahead of several other notable cities in the state.

Within the Bay Area, Fremont also demonstrated a robust work ethic, earning the 13th spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, San Jose and Oakland were positioned further down the list, coming in at 53rd and 56th, respectively.

The city that topped the list was Cheyenne, Wyoming, followed closely by Anchorage, Alaska; Washington, D.C.; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Irving, Texas, making up the top five hardest-working cities in the nation.

In contrast, Southern California’s first mention in the rankings was Santa Ana, which appeared at number 70, with San Diego right behind at 71. Los Angeles found itself further down the list at 86th, trailing slightly behind its neighbor, Long Beach.

Los Angeles came in at a lowly 86th, two spots behind nearby Long Beach.

Since 2009, Los Angeles has consistently ranked as having one of the lowest employment rates in the nation, except for a slight increase between 2016-2018.

Even worse than LA were cities in California’s Central Valley, including Bakersfield (101), Stockton (102) and Fresno (107).

To determine the rankings, WalletHub compared 116 of the most populous cities using “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.”

They included average hours worked per week, employment rate and vacation time, along with average commute time and the share of workers with more than one job. It also looked at the average amount of leisure time that a worker had per day.

“Hard work is the backbone of America’s economy and a big reason why the country has become so successful, as Americans outwork people in many other developed economies,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “In addition, between 40% and 64% of Americans leave at least some of their allotted vacation time on the table, depending on the city.”

Research shows that Americans work 25% more hours than their counterparts in Europe, according to the study. 

“While working long hours, minimizing time off, and having side jobs all lead to increased productivity, they can also have negative effects on people’s physical and mental health,” Lupo added. “It’s important for people to figure out how to work hard without overworking.”

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