West Virginia is one of the worst states to work in, new report says

West Virginia recently ranked the 2nd best state to retire, but where does the Mountain State fall when it comes to those many working years before retirement?

According to a new study conducted by Duddy, Goodwin, & Pollard , West Virginia is revealed to be one of the worst states to work in.

The study looked at data based on the percentage of employed individuals represented by unions and the states with the highest work fatality rates in 2022.

According to the report, the data was collected from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in each state and then weighted against the state’s populations to create a fair ranking.

Two metrics were combined to create scores ranging from zero to ten, with ten being the worst and zero being the best. This was used to determine the worst and best states to work in.

Although not the worst, West Virginia is ranked the fourth worst state to work in, scoring 5. The Mountain State received a score of 4.8 for work-related fatalities and a death rate of 6.8%, which is equivalent to 48 deaths in total. When it comes to union representation, WV employees experienced a 10% success rate, resulting in a score of 6.3.

Coming in as the least favorable state to work in, Wyoming stands out with an overall score of 9.6. According to the report, the Equality State has 12.7 percent rate for work related fatalities in 2022, with 34 deaths overall, receiving the worst possible score of 10. Those represented by unions obtained a score of 7.6, with just 7.2 percent of individuals receiving union backing.

Mississippi is the second-worst state to work in, with reports showing an overall score of 5.3. The Magnolia state’s fatality rate score was 4.9, which translates to a 6.9 percent work-related death rate and 38 total deaths. Those represented by unions obtained a score of 7.6, with just 7.2% of individuals receiving union backing.

The third-worst state to work in, South Carolina, is reported to have a score of 5.1. The Palmetto State experienced 132 work-related fatalities in 2022, bringing the fatality rate to 6.1 percent. A score of 10 was obtained for union representation, as just 2% were supported.

According to the report, Louisiana tied for the third position, experiencing 120 workplace fatalities in 2022, with a death rate of 6.4 percent and a score of 4.4 5.2 percent of employees were represented by unions, resulting in the Pelican State scoring an 8.5.

New Mexico ties with the Mountain State with a score of 5, and a total of 57 workplace fatalities resulting in a death rate of 6.8 percent and a score of 4.8. The Land of Enrichment successfully represented 10.6 percent of New Mexicans, gaining a score of 6.

Rounding out the top five worst states to work in is Arkansas, which has a reported overall score of 4.8. The Black Bear State had a 2022 fatality rate of 6.1 percent, with 75 deaths overall and a score of 4.2. According to the report, Arkansas had successful union representation for 1,204 employees, which was 5.7%, resulting in a score of 8.3.

South Dakota

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTRF.