What Oxfam measured and who was involved
Oxfam released the 2026 Best States to Work Index on Sept. 3, covering all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, using laws and policies in effect as of July 1, 2026. The analysis scores minimum wage, worker protections and organizing rights, and was co-authored by Cameryn Cobb, Ph.D., who serves as a social scientist with Oxfam America.
Cobb said state lawmakers "can make changes that really impact workers" and pointed to Utah's repeal of its collective bargaining ban, crediting advocacy by "teachers, firefighters and local people" as proof that "people do have power."
How the index scores states
The overall score blends three buckets. Wages count for 35 percent, factoring in the state minimum and how it stacks up to local living costs. Worker protections are another 35 percent, with policies such as equal pay rules, paid family and medical leave, and safeguards against sexual harassment. The organizing category makes up the remaining 30 percent, weighing right-to-work statutes, whether public school teachers can organize, shielding workers from retaliation and safeguarding collective bargaining.
Caregiving entered the scorecard this year. Cobb noted that members of the growing sandwich generation often juggle care for both older relatives and children, and "a lot of times, people can be discriminated against for those caregiving responsibilities." States including Maine and Minnesota have put family caregiver protections in place, which Cobb said "make these states stronger, because they are really looking out for the working families that live in their states."
Top rankings, key numbers and wider context
Oxfam's top 10 jurisdictions for worker pay, policies and protections, with minimum wage and total score:
- 1. California - $16.90; 80.23
- 2. District of Columbia - $18.40; 78.74
- 3. New York - $16.00; 77.78
- 4. Illinois - $15.00; 73.54
- 5. Oregon - $15.55; 71.4
- 6. Washington - $17.13; 67.7
- 7. Maine - $15.10; 65.86
- 8. Colorado - $15.16; 65.01
- 9. Connecticut - $16.94; 64.08
- 10. Minnesota - $11.41; 63.77
The picture changes fast as you cross state lines. Cobb put it plainly: "state by state, things are very different for workers." She added, "We are in one country, yet if you cross a border, the laws are vastly different in terms of labor," and those differences shape daily life, from affording basics to caring for loved ones.
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Cobb also linked stronger wage floors and worker protections to better outcomes, saying states with those features "have less people in poverty. They have less infant mortality. They have a higher GDP per capita."
Public sentiment and the federal backdrop
Cobb pointed to raising the federal minimum wage as a fix that could lift workers nationwide. The last increase was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. Pew Research reported in 2021 that 62 percent of Americans support a $15 federal minimum.
Support for unions has also ticked up, with a Gallup poll in Aug. 2026 showing 47 percent of Americans want labor unions to have more sway than they do today, the highest share in 25 years. "It's something that everyone can get behind," Cobb said.
What this means for your money: where you work can change your take-home pay, your time off and even your ability to care for family, and those differences show up in your budget more than in a stock chart.
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