MAINE, USA — Maine has been ranked #5 on Oxfam's list of the best state to work in the U.S. Oxfam is a global nonprofit aimed at ending poverty, and the organization developed its own index for measuring the working conditions in each state, called the Best States to Work Index (BSWI).
According to Oxfam, BSWI has three dimensions spanning 11 policy areas and 20 data points. In the end, it calculated a score from 0-100 for each state, focusing on three major policy areas: wage policies, worker protection policies, and workers' rights to organize policies.
Maine received an overall score of 83.99, just behind Massachusetts' 85.24. New Hampshire was ranked 23rd. Washington D.C. was ranked #1 overall.
Maine received a 97.80 score for wage policies, 54.17 for worker protection, and 100.00 for workers' right to organize.
According to Oxfam, while BSWI is a complex database with multiple weighted formulas, it comes down to a simple question: Do workers encounter positive or negative workplace conditions?
Oxfam also noted that Maine jumped from No. 8 last year to No. 5 this year, citing an increase in minimum wage and newly passed legislation.
The entire Oxfam study can be found here.
