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Depending on your point of view, we could be in the middle of the last weekend of summer.
While the season officially runs through 8:43 a.m. on Sept. 22, when the autumnal equinox arrives, Labor Day has traditionally come to signify the end of the summer season.
Which makes a couple of reports recently released by WalletHub take on extra meaning as we recognize a holiday that stands in tribute to hard work -- and enjoying another summer celebration.
Despite what you might hear on social media and through other sources, Americans still hold a strong work ethic. So strong, in fact, that the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website reminds us that only 48 percent of all Americans used all of their paid time off last year.
We put in an average of 1,799 hours each year, according to the World Economic Forum. To put that into perspective, that's 456 hours per year more -- almost nine hours a week more -- than the average reported in Germany
Which leads to the question, where does our region fall on the list of hardest-working states -- and the answer might surprise you.
Pennsylvania ranks 34th, Ohio comes in at 42nd and West Virginia finishes 50th.
Breaking it down a little, the Keystone state is 36th when you look at direct work factors and 16th in indirect work factors. Ohio, meanwhile, is 43rd in direct work factors and 21st in indirect factors and West Virginia is 47th in direct work factors and 49th in indirect factors.
North Dakota comes in as the hardest-working state. One of the biggest factors in that ranking, WalletHub said, is the state's 98 percent employment rate.
Metrics used to come up with the totals -- there were 10 key ones -- include the average number of hours worked each week, the share of workers who have multiple jobs and the average leisure time spent each day.
We know where we stand when it comes to work. That could lead you to wonder where the region stands when it comes to having fun. Not to worry -- WalletHub has crunched those numbers as well.
When you look at all of the metrics, Pennsylvania stands as the 13th-ranked state where you can experience the most fun. Ohio is not too far behind at 15th, while West Virginia is 50th.
Researchers looked at 26 key metrics to reach their conclusions -- which, by the way, have Florida in the top spot, followed by California, Nevada, New York and Colorado.
When the numbers are broken down, they show some interesting results for our region.
Ohio and Pennsylvania, for example, are tied for eighth in the number of golf courses and country clubs per capita, a category that shows West Virginia finishing at 43rd.
When it comes to restaurants per capita, Pennsylvania is sixth, Ohio eighth and West Virginia 43rd, while a look at movie theaters per capita reveals Ohio is 11th, Pennsylvania 12th and West Virginia 45th.
Pennsylvania is 16th in amusement parks per capita, with Ohio coming in at 18th and West Virginia 41st, while Pennsylvania is eighth per capita for fitness centers, Ohio 13th and West Virginia 49th.
Numbers show that the states in our region are ranked more closely when it comes to casinos per capita, with Pennsylvania at 25th, Ohio at 26th and West Virginia at 27th, and when it comes to the variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments, Ohio stands at 19th, Pennsylvania is 21st and West Virginia is 48th.
Just a few numbers to think about as you celebrate during this long holiday weekend.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)