Westminster named one of the UK’s most burnt-out cities

The research, conducted by LEI Register, using data from the Office for National Statistics and Google Trends, ranked cities using eight key metrics, including average working hours, searches for burnout-related terms, salary growth, overtime, commuting times, anxiety levels, sickness absence, and the percentage of people working beyond retirement age.

Westminster came out third overall out of 58 cities, showing the effects of long hours, high-pressure roles, and constant demands.

People in Westminster work 37.5 hours on average each week and add another 1.13 hours of overtime. Burnout-related searches are higher here than in most other big cities, with 127.26 searches per 10,000 people. That shows residents are feeling the strain and looking for ways to cope with stress and fatigue. Salaries grow at a steady 4.1 percent, but anxiety levels sit at 3.73, and more than 72 percent of people continue working past retirement age. Commuting is slightly lower than in London, averaging 20 minutes, but with the pressure of high-responsibility jobs and fast-paced office life, even a short commute can feel exhausting.

Compared with other cities in the top ten, Westminster is different from places like Lichfield, which has huge search numbers, and London, which wears people down with long commutes. Here the stress comes from the kind of work people do, the responsibility they carry, and the expectation to keep performing at a high level every day. Other cities like Derby and Lancaster may see long hours or high burnout scores, but Westminster shows how demanding roles in government and administration can take a serious toll on wellbeing.

Toomas Pavelson, a spokesperson at LEI Register, commented on the study:

"Burnout rarely happens overnight. It builds gradually when long working weeks become routine and overtime no longer feels optional. Once people are consistently working 37 hours or more and adding extra time on top, proper recovery quickly disappears. Commuting still plays a major role. Half an hour each way may not sound dramatic, but across a week it eats into hours that would otherwise be spent resting or with family. That steady loss of personal time makes switching off much harder."

"When we see high search interest around burnout and exhaustion, it usually signals that people are trying to make sense of how they feel. It often suggests pressure has been building for some time. Rising salaries do not automatically reduce stress. In some areas, higher pay comes with higher expectations, which can push people to work longer or harder to keep up. Anxiety levels and sickness absence also tell a story. When both begin to rise, it can indicate that sustained demands are starting to affect wellbeing."

"The number of people working beyond retirement age is another telling factor. For some, it reflects financial need. For others, it shows how difficult it can be to step away from demanding roles. Burnout is not just about workload, it is about recovery. Without enough time or flexibility to properly switch off, stress builds up. Places that combine reasonable hours with manageable commutes and steady employment tend to protect people far better from reaching that tipping point."

List of the most burned-out cities: