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Wellness

These Are the Best — and Worst — Cities for Work-Life Balance

New research assesses cities for livability, work intensity and social services

A man somersaults into the fjord for an evening swim on Lindoya island in Oslo.

A man somersaults into the fjord for an evening swim on Lindoya island in Oslo.

Photographer: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

By
Jo Constantz

The best city for work-life balance: Oslo. The most overworked? Dubai.

That’s according to a study released on Wednesday by mobile access technology company Kisi, which looked at factors including work intensity and city livability as well as quality health care, affordable cost-of-living, and ample time off. While a typical worker in Helsinki — number three for work- life balance on the list —  takes a full month of paid vacation every year, for example, the norm in Los Angeles is just one week.