Louisiana Leads U.S. in Job Burnout, Study Finds

A study conducted by HR and accounting software firm IRIS Software Group evaluated all U.S. states using indicators such as weekly work hours, mental distress, sleep deficiency and cost of living. The analysis placed Louisiana at the top of the burnout ranking.

Louisianians work an average of 36 hours per week, the second‑highest in the nation, while 19.8 % of adults report frequent mental distress (second‑highest) and 40.5 % lack sufficient sleep (third‑highest). Despite a relatively modest cost‑of‑living index of 92.3 (34th among states), the combination of long hours, poor sleep and psychological strain drives the high burnout score. Southern states dominate the top ten, which also includes Arkansas, Washington, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland and Oklahoma.