By several key indicators, economic conditions worsened in the United States in 2020. Unemployment climbed from an annual average of 3.7% to 8.1%, gross domestic product fell by 3.5%, and businesses across the country shuttered operations for good. There were some bright spots, however, and one of them was labor productivity, which increased in much of the country. Here is a look at the state economies hit hardest by the COVID-19 recession.
Though total hours American workers logged, as well as total output, fell in 2020, the average value of a single hour of work increased in 45 states. Using data on both total productivity and total hours worked, 24/7 Wall St. calculated labor productivity in each state.
In Kentucky, labor productivity equaled about $53 per labor hour, making it the eighth least productive state in the country.
Improvements and differences in productivity from state to state can be due to a number of factors, including technological advancements, capital available to workers, and the workforce’s education and skill level. In keeping with the broader trend, productivity increased by 0.5% in Kentucky in 2020 compared to the previous year.
All data in this story is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Productivity values were adjusted for inflation to 2012 dollars for more accurate comparisons, both state to state and year over. Only private sector, nonfarm labor was considered. These are the most and least productive states in America.
| Rank | State | Dollars generated per hour worked, 2020 ($) | 1-yr. productivity change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 92.27 | +5.2 |
| 2 | Alaska | 91.13 | +6.3 |
| 3 | Washington | 87.48 | +3.9 |
| 4 | California | 86.31 | +6.1 |
| 5 | Delaware | 84.56 | +5.7 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 83.04 | +5.7 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 82.99 | +1.7 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 77.94 | +5.4 |
| 9 | Texas | 75.45 | +1.8 |
| 10 | Wyoming | 75.33 | +0.3 |
| 11 | Colorado | 73.52 | +4.4 |
| 12 | Illinois | 72.17 | +2.1 |
| 13 | Maryland | 70.75 | +4.6 |
| 14 | Hawaii | 68.38 | +8.5 |
| 15 | North Dakota | 68.12 | +4.4 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 67.98 | +4 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 67.83 | +4.1 |
| 18 | Georgia | 66.54 | +3.7 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 64.84 | +1.5 |
| 20 | Virginia | 64.69 | +2.7 |
| 21 | Kansas | 63.42 | +2.7 |
| 22 | Oregon | 63.12 | +5.8 |
| 23 | Ohio | 62.87 | +1.7 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 62.69 | +1.8 |
| 25 | Michigan | 61.86 | +5 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 61.53 | -1.4 |
| 27 | New Mexico | 61.49 | +3.4 |
| 28 | Utah | 61.12 | +3.3 |
| 29 | Nevada | 60.55 | +8 |
| 30 | Nebraska | 60.51 | +1.8 |
| 31 | North Carolina | 60.44 | +1.6 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | 60.30 | +4.9 |
| 33 | Indiana | 59.91 | +2 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | 57.86 | +1 |
| 35 | Iowa | 57.80 | +3.3 |
| 36 | West Virginia | 57.70 | +1.6 |
| 37 | Florida | 57.55 | +3.9 |
| 38 | Arizona | 56.56 | +1.6 |
| 39 | Missouri | 55.51 | +1.9 |
| 40 | Tennessee | 54.76 | -1.4 |
| 41 | South Dakota | 54.63 | -1.9 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 53.63 | +2.8 |
| 43 | Kentucky | 52.86 | +0.5 |
| 44 | Alabama | 51.81 | +1.2 |
| 45 | Vermont | 51.46 | +4 |
| 46 | Montana | 51.31 | -0.7 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 50.30 | +1.7 |
| 48 | Maine | 48.84 | +3.8 |
| 49 | Idaho | 48.35 | -2.5 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 47.62 | +2.1 |
Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
