Oxfam: Washington fifth-best state in the U.S. for workers

(The Center Square) – Washington is the fifth-best state in the country for workers, according to a new report from Oxfam.

That’s two spots down from last year, when Washington came in third place in British-founded Oxfam’s annual “Best States to Work Index,” which determines its rankings of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico by looking at wage policies, worker protections and rights to organize.

The Evergreen State scored high in this year’s report due to its highest-in-the-nation minimum wage – $15.74 an hour – and robust employee protections.

Washington earned an overall score of 77.83.

Oxfam ranked Washington No. 2 in terms of wage policies, No. 3 for worker protections and No. 14 for rights to organize.

According to Oxfam, the top five states and state designate for workers are:

1. California

2. Oregon

3. District of Columbia

4. New York

5. Washington

The five worst states for workers are:

52. North Carolina

51. Mississippi

50. Georgia

49. South Carolina

48. Texas