Alabama Ranks Near Bottom in Best States to Work Index

Alabama has landed near the bottom of a new national ranking examining state laws and policies affecting workers and their families.

Oxfam America placed Alabama 51st out of 52 jurisdictions in its 2026 Best States to Work Index. The annual report evaluates all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico based on laws and policies in effect as of July 1, 2026.

Now in its ninth edition, the index evaluates 37 policies across three major categories: wages, worker protections and rights to organize and collectively bargain. Wages and worker protections each account for 35% of the overall score, while organizing rights make up the remaining 30%.

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Oxfam points to several policies contributing to Alabama’s position. The state maintains a $7.25-per-hour minimum wage, does not require paid family and medical leave or paid sick leave and does not have statewide heat-safety or warehouse-worker protections. Alabama also has a right-to-work law, which Oxfam opposes because the organization argues such laws weaken workers’ ability to organize and bargain collectively.

The index is a measurement of state policy rather than a survey of workers about job satisfaction, individual employers or the overall quality of available jobs. Oxfam describes the report as an advocacy and research tool intended to compare how state policies support low-wage workers and working families. The organization also notes that no jurisdiction received a perfect score.
Alabama’s placement represents a drop from Oxfam’s 2025 index, when it ranked 50th.

So which jurisdictions finished at both ends of this year’s ranking?

Oxfam’s top five for 2026 are California at No. 1, the District of Columbia at No. 2, New York at No. 3, Illinois at No. 4 and Oregon at No. 5.

The bottom five are South Carolina at No. 48, Tennessee at No. 49, Mississippi at No. 50, Alabama at No. 51 and North Carolina at No. 52.