Market Watch – by Shawn Langlois
There’s not a lot of Aloha spirit in a 91-hour workweek.
But, according to this map from cost-estimating website HowMuch.net, that’s exactly what it takes to live comfortably in Hawaii for the average earner:
HowMuch.net used median wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as annual consumer expenditure figures, adding 20% to each state’s average to represent comfortable living. The darker the shade of purple, the higher the wage needed, while the darker shade of green indicates longer workweeks.
Hawaii is the toughest place to earn a comfortable living, at $96,100 in income on a 91-hour workweek — 13 hours a day on the job doesn’t leave much time to enjoy paradise. Washington, D.C. is in the second spot at $78,310 and 44 hours, followed by California at $66,754 and 63 hours.
On the flip side, the South is where it’s the easiest, led by Mississippi at $40,400 and 53 hours. Oklahoma is next at $41,113 and 48 hours.
“There isn’t a single state in the country where an average worker can enjoy a comfortable living on 40 hours or less of work per week,” HowMuch.net explained, highlighting the difficulty in reaching comfortable levels across the country. “Clearly, the vast majority of wage earners are just getting by, and there’s a lot of ink spilled on addressing these issues.”
EXACTLY as planned
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On the flip side, the South is where it’s the easiest, led by Mississippi at $40,400 and 53 hours.
I WAS MAKING THIS IN 1995 AT FAR LESS THAN 40 HOURS. IN A SMALL TOWN IN ALABAMA, WITH NO INTERNET. THEY ARE INDEED “STEALING US BLIND’.