Back in March 2020, several members of the working class had to learn a new kind of normal. Platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet and Skype became the new way of communicating with one another without putting any lives at risk. Fast forward to 2022, employees are starting to return to the office and are getting back to what their lives used to be. Although, the idea of working remotely has become permanent in many work environments. In a recent report from WalletHub, they named New Jersey the best state in which you can work from home.
What Led to NJ Being Ranked The Best State to WFH?
There is a lot that went into analyzing what the best state to work from home would be. Many factors included how much it costs to work from home, level of comfort and whether or not there was cybersecurity. WalletHub compared all of the U.S. 50 states including the District of Columbia and narrowed down two key dimensions: “Work Environment” and “Living Environment.”
To go even further, they used 12 relevant metrics that were graded on a 100-point scale. In total, “Work Environment” had a total of 60 points while “Living Environment” had 40 points on an overall report basis. Among the key metrics, there was “Internet Access,” “Electricity Costs,” “Home Square Footage” and “Share of Potential Telecommuters.”
Something that WalletHub also took into consideration was how large and crowded the homes are in each state. In some states such as New York, it can be very easy to work remotely. On the other hand, in a state like Alaska, it may be hard to work remotely. You can even look at it from the perspective of comparing working from home in a large, urban city versus a small, rural town.
Where NJ Lies Amongst The Best States For Working From Home
New Jersey came in first place with a total high-ranking score of 66.75 points. The District of Columbia and Delaware fell short by an estimated two points. Here are other ranking factors that led NJ to rank amongst the best states to work from home:
Working from Home in New Jersey:
- 21st – Share of Population Working from Home
- 11th – Share of Potential Telecommuters
- 4th – Households’ Internet Access
- 21st – Average Home Square Footage
- 12th – Cybersecurity
- 29th – Internet Cost
Other ranking states that stand behind New Jersey’s first place spot are the District of Columbia (second), Delaware (third), Connecticut (fourth) and Massachusetts (fifth). As for the worst states to work from home, WalletHub reported Arkansas (47th), North Dakota (48th), Montana (49th), Mississippi (50th) and Alaska (51st).
It was also reported that 20 percent of all professional jobs were remote as of the beginning of 2022. Working from home has officially become the new normal and is expected to continue in the post-pandemic era.
What are your thoughts on NJ being ranked the best state to work from home? Let us know in the comments!
Bertha is currently a junior at Rutgers University-Newark. She is interested in writing about fashion, lifestyle, arts / culture and most importantly - food! When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her golden retriever dog, Gizmo.
