BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Happy workers are good workers, and in many states, better benefits lead to increases in employee productivity. Unfortunately, as a new study shows, North Dakota is far behind the curve when it comes to employee happiness... at least, outside of one particular city. According to a press release from Resume.io, the company surveyed 3,000 employees from across America to find where our country's happiest workers live. Unfortunately, only one North Dakota city made an appearance on this list: Fargo, at 125th place, obtained a notable happiness score of 7.4 out of 10. This is an extremely far cry from the highest-ranking cities, many of which are located in more populated areas. Nationwide, employees rate their satisfaction at around 7.5 out of 10, which is due to a variety of benefits that help contribute to a 'good' workplace. For 26%, the largest of these is a supportive boss, while another 25% added that flexible hours and job security are the most important positive parts of a career. Other notable aspects that help maintain worker happiness include a good salary and benefits package (17%) and the prospect of career growth (9%). Bismarck Parks and Recreation hosts survey on athletic complex redesign The largest change in employee happiness, by a long margin, comes in the form of remote work, which 36% of respondents say greatly improves their job satisfaction. Another 24% feel that it does not affect their happiness or has a moderate positive impact, with only 2% noting it lessens their happiness. This can be attributed to many factors, but the most prevalent is remote work's ability to help people maintain a proper work-life balance and spend time on other projects. With this love of remote work comes an interest in the ideal office setup, and of the survey's respondents, many note that they prefer a hybrid work schedule. 35% of the polled workers note that they prefer a mixture of remote and in-office work, while another 28% enjoy being in the office full-time. This is especially clear in the case of flexible work locations: the ability to work from either appeals to 20% of the employees, and 17% add that they prefer fully remote positions. The study concluded by asking these happy workers what exactly causes job stress, even in happy workplaces. For 34% of employees, workload and high expectations are the main contributors to feelings of frustration — but others listed a poor work-life balance (19%), job insecurity 17%), limited growth opportunities (15%), and a lack of support from management (15%) as other factors. To view the full study — including a detailed infographic showing the top cities for workplace happiness across America — visit this page on resume.io's website. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW