North Carolina, the state with the fifth highest unemployment rate in the country, has the best business climate in the nation, according to Site Selection magazine.
It's the second time in three years the Tar Heel state has finished first in the magazine's rankings, which are based on a survey of corporate site selectors and various other criteria, including capital investment and tax burdens.
North Carolina edged out Ohio, which was followed by Texas, Georgia and Virginia. Nine of the top 10 states are in the South or Southeast.
North Carolina finished second to Texas in the survey of corporate site selectors, but beat out Texas and all other states when all factors were considered.
The ranking is yet another example of how North Carolina continues to pile up accolades about its economic competitiveness even while it struggles to create the necessary jobs to bring down its unemployment rate.
The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.6 percent in September. The only states with a higher unemployment rate are Nevada, Rhode Island, California and New Jersey.
Business reporter David Bracken came to the N&O in 2004. He covers commercial and residential real estate. Contact David at 919-829-4548 or