Washington Leads U.S. in Value-Added Work Efficiency, Study Finds

A new study finds an hour of work in Washington is now worth nearly $127—making it the most productive state in the country over the past decade. If work were a product, Washington would be the Costco of efficiency: big value, no frills.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington led all states with a 5.28% compound annual growth rate in value-added output per hour. Translation? Washingtonians have been squeezing more economic juice out of every hour like they’re running a citrus press on turbo.

What���s “compound annual growth rate”?

Just a fancy way of saying they didn’t suddenly become productive overnight. It’s slow and steady improvement—like getting better at Wordle, one frustrating guess at a time. In 2015, an hour of work added about $76 in value. Today? Nearly $127. That’s a $51 jump—by working smarter, not necessarily longer.
Maine and Utah are hot on Washington’s heels, also posting gains over 5% a year. Delaware, once king of the productivity hill in 2015, has dropped to third. But don’t weep for Delaware—its average hour of work still adds over $121 in value. They’re not slacking, just letting the overachievers wear themselves out.

And what is value-added output, exactly?

Think of it as your job’s economic batting average. It’s not what you make—it’s how much value you create after covering your scrapbooking supplies, software, and electricity bills. Like socks: if you sell 100 pairs for $1,000 but spent $200 to make them, your value-added output is $800—or $100 an hour if you're a one-person sock empire.

Bottom line: productivity is up, especially in the West. And Washington? Crushing it, one high-value hour at a time.