New Study Finds Detroit Workers Put in More Overtime Than Anywhere Else in Michigan

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• A new study analyzed employee reviews on Glassdoor across the 100 most populous U.S. cities to determine where workers are most likely to put in overtime.

• Detroit, Michigan residents report the sixteenth-highest rate of overtime work with 184.41 mentions per 10,000 employee reviews.

• Texas dominates the overtime rankings with four cities in the top 15, while California places the most cities in the top 100 with 18 entries.

A new study by Priority Software has identified El Paso, Texas as the U.S. city where employees are most likely to work overtime.

The research analyzed Glassdoor reviews for companies with 250 to 1,000 employees across the 100 most populous U.S. cities. By calculating the frequency of keywords such as ‘overtime,’ ‘burnout,’ and ‘additional hours’ per 10,000 employee reviews, the study determined which cities’ workers put in the most hours beyond their regular schedules.

Detroit, Michigan,

ranks sixteenth nationally for overtime time mentions on Glassdoor, with 184.41 mentions per 10,000 employee reviews. The analysis found 2,348 overtime-related keywords across 127,325 reviews, suggesting that extended work hours are a common part of the city’s employment landscape. While Detroit falls just outside the top 15, its ranking highlights the influence of the city’s diverse industries, from automotive manufacturing to healthcare, where high production demands and deadlines can contribute to longer workweeks.

El Paso topped the list with 201.05 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews. The city had 357 keyword appearances across 17,757 reviews analyzed.

Lincoln, Nebraska ranks second with 200.98 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews. This totals 329 keyword appearances within 16,370 reviews.

Reno, Nevada secured third place with 200.52 overtime references per 10,000 reviews. This was based on 529 keyword appearances in 26,381 reviews.

Lubbock, Texas ranked fourth with 198.83 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, making it the second Texas city in the top five. This strong showing from the Lone Star State indicates regional patterns in overtime expectations.

Stockton, California rounded out the top five with 194.89 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, the highest-ranking California city in the study. Stockton was just one of 18 California cities that appeared in the overall rankings.

Corpus Christi, Texas placed sixth with 194.06 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, giving Texas three cities in the top six positions. This concentration suggests that Texas may have workplace cultures that commonly expect additional hours from employees.

Bakersfield, California secured the seventh spot with 191.36 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, making it the second California city in the top ten. Bakersfield had 909 keyword appearances within the 47,502 reviews that were analyzed.

Madison, Wisconsin ranked eighth with 190.26 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, the only Midwestern city to break into the top ten. This outlier status makes Madison unique among its regional peers.

Anaheim and Santa Clarita, both in California, completed the top ten with 185.29 and 185.17 overtime mentions per 10,000 reviews, respectively. Anaheim reported 7,432 keyword appearances across 401,108 reviews. Santa Clarita totals 7,422 keyword appearances in 400,826 reviews.

Portland, Oregon residents report the fifteenth-highest rate of overtime work with 184.75 mentions per 10,000 employee reviews. Portland had 2,088 keyword appearances within the 113,020 reviews that were analyzed.