While Texas leaders love to brag about state’s economy, they have little to brag about when it comes to how the state treats its workers, according to a new study.
Poverty-fighting nonprofit Oxfam America ranked Texas 45th on its annual Best States to Work report, up a single slot from the state’s dismal finish last year at No. 46.
To determine the report’s rankings, Oxfam researchers examined 27 factors across three categories — Wage Policies, Worker Protections and Rights to Organize — for all 50 states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Overall, Texas scored a paltry 15.14 points out of 100. It pulled in just 14.93 points for Wage Policies, 26.19 points for Worker Protections and a big, fat zero for Rights to Organize.
When it comes to the Wage Policies category, Texas is one of the states still stuck at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Meanwhile, a total of 34 states, territories and districts have raised their minimum wages to keep up with increased living costs.
In the Worker Protection category, Texas elected officials have repeatedly fought to quash paid sick leave, and the state legislature even passed a law barring municipalities from creating their own heat protections for workers.
Finally, Texas was one just five states to earn a zero rating in the Rights to Organize Category. All of those so-called “right-to-work” states offer “no support for worker organizing, whether by public or private employees,” according to Oxfam.
Oxfam began conducting its study in 2018 to determine which states were stepping up to fill gaps left as the federal government has failed to protect low-wage workers. Unfortunately, some states have moved in the opposite direction, the organization said.
“In 2025, we have seen many states follow the lead of the federal government and roll back hard won gains, including a weakening of child labor laws, revoking paid sick leave and even taking unionization rights away from public workers like teachers and firefighters,” Oxfam officials said.
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