How do you determine which people work the hardest? Is it by how much they work, how long they're willing to commute, how many vacation days they leave on the table, how early in life they start or how late in life they finally retire? Kempler Industries ranked 200 cities with a population of 150,000-plus to learn where people who work the hardest live, using the following metrics: average commute time; average workweek hours; percentage of people ages 16-64 working full-time; percentage of senior workers ages 65 and older; and the percentage of unused vacation days. "Americans take great pride in their work ethic. However, some people and cities tend to work harder than others," writes Kempler, in its posting of the top 10 hardest-working cities in America. While Washington, D.C. — where political staffers typically leave, eat and breathe their work— ranks as the top hardest-working city, most of the municipalities in the top 10 are in Texas. Apparently folks in many parts of the Lone Star State aren't as laid back as the rest of the country would think — and according to Kempler, are more hard-working than those who live in New York City. Of course, there are more than a few people who don't mind taking it easier and getting by in Margaritaville. it all depends on how one defines their own work-life balance. Related:

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