The Best and Worst States for Work/Life Balance

A new ranking has revealed which states have the best employers for a work/life balance, based on employee reviews - with Washington crowned top. 

The study, conducted by resume specialists ResumeBlaze, looked at the number of companies rated 4.5 stars and above for work/life balance in each state and scaled this against the total number of jobs listed in each area on Glassdoor. 

Despite unemployment rates being at a half-century low (according to figures from the Federal Reserve), some people will still be looking to switch jobs before the festive season hits – and employer ratings is a key concern for many.   

Washington is crowned top for those seeking a good work/life balance, with 20% of companies rated 4.5 stars and above - 54% more than the national average (13%).  

Work/life balance refers to the harmony between the responsibilities of your professional life and your personal life (such as family, social activities, and hobbies), with a healthy balance key to maintaining good mental and physical health.  

The second-best state to work for those who prioritize this harmony is California with 18% of employers rated 4.5 and above, while Massachusetts is the third best with 17%. 

The ten states with the best employers for work/life balance ranked  include Washington (19.7%); California (18.3%; Massachusetts (17%); Utah (16.6%), Colorado (16.6%); Texas (16.5%); Florida (16.4%) New York (15.3%); Virginia (15%) and Idaho (14.7%). 

On the other end of the scale, West Virginia is named the state with the worst employers for work/life balance with only 9% of companies rated 4.5 stars – 55% fewer than Washington.  

Kansas is named the second-worst state with 9% of companies rated 4.5 stars, and the third worst state for employees seeking a good work/life balance is New Mexico with 10%. 

As well as looking at which states have the highest-rated employers for work/life balance, the analysis also looked at which job sectors have the top-performing companies - with, surprisingly, the legal sector placing first with19% of employers rated 4.5 stars and above. 

The second and third best job sectors are engineering with 16% of companies rated well for work/life balance, followed by education with 16%. 

Meanwhile, the job sector that struggles the most to maintain a good work/life balance is the retail and food services sector, with just 2% of employers rated well for this - 85% fewer than the national average. 

 Speaking on the findings, Darren Shafae, Founder of ResumeBlaze, said: “Those who are looking for a new job will almost definitely turn to employee reviews to judge the quality of a company - and those who are poorly rated are less likely to have enthusiastic applicants than those with glowing reviews”.  

Data gathered from Glassdoor company reviews.