The halting economic recovery in the years since the Great Recession has created hardships for many American workers, but people in some areas have had it much worse than others.
While the employment conditions in some states are relatively strong, others continue to feel the effects of low wages, high inflation, unemployment and rising taxes.
For the third consecutive year, MoneyRates.com has ranked the best and worst states for making a living.
Quantitative factors used in this study include average wage and unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cost of living data from C2ER (formerly ACCRA) and state tax information from Tax-Rates.org. This quantitative analysis was then adjusted for qualitative workplace conditions, according to each state's Workplace Environment ranking in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index poll.
10. South Dakota
Having no state income tax is not enough to make up for an extremely low average wage -- South Dakota's is the second lowest of any state's.
That average wage is low enough to give South Dakota the 10th spot on this list for the second year in a row.
To a large extent, people in the above states may be well aware that job conditions are difficult. But a ray of hope may come from knowing that they may be able to find better conditions elsewhere -- perhaps in one of the places that made the list of 10 Best States to Make a Living.
9. Alaska
You can make a high wage with no income tax in Alaska, but you'll pay for it with a very high cost of living.
In addition, Alaska ranked near the bottom for work environment, which isn't surprising given the often-harsh conditions in the state.
8. Vermont
Vermont is actually about average in most criteria, but its downfall is a cost of living that is about 20 percent higher than the national average.
Many states with high costs of living have higher average wages to compensate for it, but Vermont does not.
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