Work It

Dallas-Fort Worth outpaces the rest with some of nation's hardest workers

Texans are not afraid to put in the hours.

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Dallas-Fort Worth residents are being recognized right and left for their intense work ethic. First it was SmartAsset pointing out the impressive number of hours Dallasites log at their jobs each month, and now WalletHub is doubling down by awarding five DFW cities spots near the top of its hardest-working cities list.

Out of 116 cities that the personal finance website ranked, we snagged five in the top 20. And not just that: Plano landed in second place overall, closely followed by Irving (No. 5), Dallas (No. 12), Fort Worth (No. 16), and Garland (No. 20).

In order to determine a city's score, WalletHub compared direct and indirect work factors. Direct work factors, which could be worth up to 80 of the total 100 available points, were the average workweek hours and labor-force participation rate of each city's residents, aged 16-64 (pulled directly from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Corporation for National and Community Service).

Indirect work factors were weighted far less heavily and compared data for average commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs, annual volunteer hours per resident, and average leisure time spent per day. Combined, they equaled the city's score for the other available 20 points.

Plano looks pretty good with a total score of 81.49, though its No. 2 ranking for direct work factors alone is extra impressive. The No. 42 ranking for indirect factors is slightly less so, but it does tie that category with Dallas.

Austin and Houston are nipping at our heels overall at Nos. 17 and 18, respectively, while Corpus Christi makes it all the way up to No. 8. It's impossible to catch No. 1 Anchorage, Alaska, though, which scored first in each category for a nearly untouchable total sum of 90.76.

And where should you move if you're seeking a slower pace? Burlington, Vermont, which not only landed on the bottom of the list but also scored lowest in direct work factors.

wallethub rankings

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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