When it comes to happiness, the U.S. doesn’t measure up

WASHINGTON — We may be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but of the happy? Not so much.

For the second consecutive year, the Better Life Index, published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, reports that the country in which people are the most satisfied with their lives is Switzerland. And for the fourth year in a row, the United States didn’t make the top 10.

The 34 OECD countries are ranked on such variables as health, employment rate and life expectancy. The U.S. landed in 17th place, down from 14th last year.

USA TODAY reports that the job market is one of the most important factors, and the OECD’s Romina Boarini says that income inequality was one factor that dragged the U.S. ranking down.

You can take a look at the results at the OECD site, which also has an interactive graphic that lets you rank the factors in order of how important you think they are, and find which country would be the best fit for you.

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