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Originally published: October 27, 2005
Original link:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/26/news/economy/best_work/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - If you work in the state
of Delaware, then you shouldn't be complaining about your job.
Delaware is the best working environment in terms of average pay,
employment opportunities, employee benefits, percentage of low-income
workers, fair treatment between genders and ability for employees to
unionize, according to a report released Tuesday.
The Work Environment Index (WEI), developed by researchers at Political
Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts,
evaluated worker climate on a state-by-state basis by looking at job
opportunities, job quality and workplace fairness.
Other states at the top of the list were New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont
and Iowa, while Texas, Arkansas, Utah and South Carolina were ranked among
the lowest.
Louisiana was ranked last.
States ranking high on the list generally had faster economic growth and
lower poverty rates, the study said.
State rankings, 2005
|
Overall
WEI rankings
|
Overall
WEI score
(Average of
components)
|
State-by-state WEI
component ranks (scores)
|
|
|
Job
quality
|
Workplace
fairness
|
|
|
Delaware
|
89
|
6 (85.2)
|
2 (89.6)
|
3 (93.2)
|
|
2
|
New
Hampshire
|
81
|
4 (89.8)
|
7 (77.6)
|
16 (74.1)
|
|
3
|
Minnesota
|
80
|
21 (62.0)
|
1 (100)
|
13 (79.4)
|
|
4
|
Vermont
|
77
|
5 (85.9)
|
36 (46.0)
|
1 (100.0)
|
|
5
|
Iowa
|
73
|
11 (78.5)
|
6 (82.0)
|
30 (57.3)
|
|
6
|
Connecticut
|
72
|
36 (49.3)
|
4 (87.1)
|
14 (79.3)
|
Tied for
7 - 9 |
Indiana
|
71
|
24 (61.0)
|
11 (72.0)
|
12 (80.0)
|
|
Nebraska
|
71
|
7 (83.3)
|
15 (68.1)
|
28 (61.0)
|
|
Wisconsin
|
71
|
29 (56.2)
|
8 (76.6)
|
11 (81.7)
|
|
10
|
South
Dakota
|
70
|
2 (94.4)
|
25 (54.2)
|
29 (60.8)
|
|
11
|
North
Dakota
|
69
|
1 (100.0)
|
18 (64.0)
|
33 (42.2)
|
|
Tied for
12 - 14
|
Maine
|
68
|
18 (64.7)
|
29 (49.1)
|
4 (91.7)
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
68
|
28 (56.8)
|
10 (74.3)
|
16 (74.1)
|
|
Rhode
Island
|
68
|
31 (55.4)
|
21 (58.3)
|
5 (90.4)
|
|
15
|
New Jersey
|
67
|
23 (61.3)
|
13 (70.5)
|
19 (70.4)
|
|
Tied for
16 - 17
|
Kentucky
|
66
|
17 (65.5)
|
16 (67.2)
|
24 (66.6)
|
|
Missouri
|
66
|
37 (48.9)
|
5 (85.2)
|
26 (63.8)
|
|
Tied for
18 - 19
|
Hawaii
|
65
|
9 (80.5)
|
32 (48.2)
|
25 (65.0)
|
|
Massachusetts
|
65
|
25 (60.7)
|
27 (52.4)
|
10 (82.5)
|
|
20
|
Maryland
|
63
|
10 (80.0)
|
39 (40.0)
|
20 (69.7)
|
|
Tied for
21 - 22
|
Alaska
|
60
|
43 (37.1)
|
33 (47.8)
|
2 (94.9)
|
|
Washington
|
60
|
48 (21.6)
|
13 (70.5)
|
7 (88.9)
|
|
23 |
Illinois
|
58
|
44 (35.8)
|
17 (64.4)
|
15 (75.0)
|
|
Tied for 24 -
25 |
Michigan |
56
|
50 (3.7)
|
2 (89.5)
|
18 (73.4)
|
|
Ohio |
56
|
46 (33.3)
|
12 (71.2)
|
27 (63.5)
|
|
26
|
Virginia
|
54
|
8 (80.8)
|
19 (62.7)
|
44 (19.8)
|
|
Tied for
27 - 30
|
Colorado
|
53
|
27 (57.3)
|
30 (48.9)
|
31 (53.6)
|
|
Kansas
|
53
|
35 (51.3)
|
9 (74.6)
|
38 (32.4)
|
|
Montana
|
53
|
20 (62.9)
|
47 (27.9)
|
22 (68.1)
|
|
Tennessee
|
53
|
14 (67.8)
|
23 (55.9)
|
37 (34.5)
|
|
Tied for
31 - 32
|
Idaho
|
52
|
13 (71.3)
|
37 (43.7)
|
34 (40.3)
|
|
Wyoming
|
52
|
3 (91.5)
|
41 (37.8)
|
42 (26.0)
|
|
33
|
California
|
51
|
47 (27.6)
|
40 (38.9)
|
9 (85.8)
|
|
Tied for
34 - 35
|
DC
|
49
|
49 (10.0)
|
31 (48.4)
|
8 (88.0)
|
|
Georgia
|
49
|
16 (65.7)
|
24 (54.4)
|
40 (28.0)
|
|
Tied for
36 - 37
|
New York
|
48
|
42 (38.3)
|
42 (37.3)
|
22 (68.1)
|
|
Oregon
|
48
|
51 (0.0)
|
26 (53.0)
|
5 (90.4)
|
|
38
|
West
Virginia
|
45
|
34 (52.3)
|
38 (40.9)
|
32 (43.3)
|
|
39
|
Oklahoma
|
43
|
26 (58.3)
|
43 (34.1)
|
35 (37.5)
|
|
Tied for
40 - 41
|
Florida
|
42
|
15 (67.2)
|
49 (23.3)
|
36 (36.3)
|
|
North
Carolina
|
42
|
39 (45.7)
|
28 (50.2)
|
39 (30.4)
|
|
42
|
Nevada
|
41
|
12 (78.1)
|
48 (27.5)
|
45 (17.3)
|
|
43
|
Alabama
|
40
|
33 (52.9)
|
22 (56.4)
|
49 (9.8)
|
|
44 |
New Mexico
|
39
|
38 (46.3)
|
51 (0.0)
|
21 (69.5)
|
|
45
|
Arizona
|
37
|
19 (64.4)
|
45 (33.2)
|
46 (14.3)
|
|
Tied for
46 - 48
|
MIssissippi
|
36
|
29 (56.2)
|
35 (46.2)
|
50 (6.2)
|
|
South
Carolina
|
36
|
45 (35.2)
|
20 (60.4)
|
47 (12.2)
|
|
Utah
|
36
|
22 (61.5)
|
44 (33.3)
|
48 (12.1)
|
|
49
|
Arkansas
|
34
|
32 (53.9)
|
50 (21.0)
|
41 (26.6)
|
|
50
|
Texas
|
33
|
40 (44.9)
|
46 (28.4)
|
43 (24.4)
|
|
51
|
Louisiana
|
31
|
41 (44.1)
|
34 (47.6)
|
51 (0.0)
|
|
|
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