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- The District of Columbia ranks best for workers, per Oxfam's new report.
- California, Oregon, and New York also have high wages and strong worker protections.
- Southern states have fewer worker-friendly laws despite becoming new economic hubs.
If you want high wages — and a strong union — you might want to head to the nation's capital.
The District of Columbia ranks higher than any state on a new index from Oxfam measuring which US states are best for workers. You can chalk that up to the district's high minimum wage and robust unemployment benefits, two of the key policies that help dictate one of the dimensions Oxfam uses in its ratings.