Michigan Is Officially One of the Laziest States in America

Have you ever wondered why it's considered lazy to sleep, but going to bed early is a good thing?

The point is, laziness is all about perspective. Laziness is often perceived by others rather than something someone strives to be. Think about it. Suppose you glimpsed into my home and saw me playing video games after work. In that case, you'd probably consider me lazy even though you're overlooking that the household chores are taken care of and there is no reason to leave the house to spend money I don't have in the first place.

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Of course, laziness can also be misinterpreted. Many people who struggle to be productive, especially at home, are battling depression or anxiety. In other cases, they never developed the habits that would help shake them of the "lazy" brand.

Sure, anyone can choose to be lazy. I often take Saturdays as a day to do absolutely nothing to recharge after a long week of work. Then on Sunday, I try to be more productive around the house. I choose to be lazy for one day so that I can be more productive on other days.

Even still, Michigan being named among the laziest states in America is a perception by WalletHub's study. WalletHub looked at direct work factors such as average workweek hours, employment rate and share of households where no adults work and indirect work factors like commute time, share of workers with multiple jobs and volunteer hours to determine the hardest-working and laziest states in America.

Michigan ranked as the 48th hardest-working state, or more accurately, the third-laziest state. The ranking boils down to the direct factors, as many Michiganders struggle to hold down long-term employment, ranking No. 48 among states based on direct work factors.

The indirect work factors for Michigan ranked No. 33, and while that's not incredibly high, this shows that many of the people who are struggling to hit the mark at full-time opportunities are putting in work elsewhere, whether at a second job or volunteering.

Sure, the types of people who actively choose not to work exist and drag these numbers down, and Michigan clearly has its fair share. But I think it's also clear that Michigan has plenty of hard-working folks pulling their weight.