Step away from the desk
Dallas clocks in among the most overworked cities in the nation
A new study on work-life balance proves Dallasites work harder than almost anyone else in the country.
Mobile technology company Kisi set out to determine which major U.S. cities offer the best work-life balance, and which ones could use an adjustment, by examining work intensity, society and institutions, and livability. Overall, Dallas ranks ninth-worst for work-life balance (No. 32 out of 40), but just as sobering is how overworked our residents are.
According to the study, Dallas is the 12th-most overworked city in the nation. Fourteen percent of Dallas workers work at least 48 hours a week, the second-highest figure in the study, and, on average, the Dallas workforce stays on the clock 42.9 hours a week. While local workers arrive at work later than most Americans (9:31 am), they are on the road much earlier, commuting about 30 minutes just one way, the study says.
Dallas falls to the very bottom of the list — No. 37 — for institutional and societal support. The city ranks low across the board, from healthcare and access to mental health to LGBT and gender equality.
Big D redeems itself — somewhat — for livability, No. 22, which takes into account overall happiness, safety, and access to wellness and leisure. This allowed Kisi to determine "whether their residents can enjoy their environment after office hours," the study says.
In general, the Lone Star State could stand to improve its work-life balance. Houston ranks lowest in Texas, at No. 37, and is the second-most overworked place in the nation, and San Antonio also ranks in the bottom 10 overall, at No. 31. And while Austin comes in at No. 18 overall, 15 percent of its workers are on the clock 48 hours or more a week.
Those who want to "work smarter rather than harder," says Kisi, should consider San Diego, California, which boasts the best work-life balance in the nation. Globally, that honor goes to Helsinki, Finland, which scores a perfect 100 in the report.
