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happiness at work

The 5 U.S. Cities With the Unhappiest Workers

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
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By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
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February 8, 2018, 1:09 PM ET

America’s unhappiest city to work in, according to career site CareerBliss, is Des Moines, Iowa, a major center of the U.S. insurance industry.

Knoxville, Tenn. took the second spot in CareerBliss’s annual list of the unhappiest cities to work in the United States, followed by Greensboro, N.C.

The list is based on employee reviews that evaluate key factors affecting work happiness including one’s relationship with their boss and coworkers, the work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and job control over work performed daily. Cities that have opportunities for higher education, personal growth, and year-round activities are more likely to have happier residents and employees, CareerBliss cofounder Heidi Golledge said.

Mountain View, Calif., the Silicon Valley city that’s home to Google, Intuit, and LinkedIn, is the happiest city to work in according to the survey. Detroit, Mich.; Boulder, Colo.; Richardson, Texas; and Stamford, Conn. round out the top five happiest cities to work.

The five U.S. cities with the unhappiest workers are:

  1. Des Moines, Iowa
  2. Knoxville, Tenn.
  3. Greensboro, N.C.
  4. Omaha, Neb.
  5. Saint Petersburg, Fla.
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By Kirsten Korosec
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