Forbes magazine ranks North Carolina as the No. 3 state for business, up from No. 5 a year ago.
In Forbes’ latest ranking, North Carolina is rated third for business costs and its regulatory environment.
Quality of life? Not so much. North Carolina is 32nd among the states.
State recruiters and economic developers use such lists to promote the state as they seek to attract new business or expansions.
“There’s nothing I love more than convincing a corporate executive of what a great place this is to live and work,” Gov. Bev Perdue said in a prepared statement touting the Forbes list.
She pointed out that the state has attracted commitments for 30,000 new jobs and $5.6 billion in investments since last year. Perdue is eager to emphasize positive news to offset criticism that she’s not doing enough to stimulate the state’s economy.
Utah is No. 1 on the Forbes list, followed by Virginia. North Carolina is followed by Colorado and Washington. The list is calculated using factors critical to business: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
Read the full Forbes report here.
David Ranii has been a business reporter at The News & Observer since 1993. Over the years he has covered information technology, banking, insurance, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, media businesses and real estate. Contact him at 919-829-4877 or
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RE STATES BUSINESS RANKINGS
Thu, 10/14/2010 - 14:08 — beachbum3Now that this governor an her cronies have k.a enough with the pro busniess special instrest an the other coportate big wigs in the nation an this state in theiR attempts to push this entire state in to the republican column for the states politicians ( BLUE DOGS) DEMOCRATS along with the like of richard burr i have got a question for this governor where are your results for the people of this state on an indivsual bases. where are the promised jobs with higher rates of pay that are still non-existence today in this state in quoting the staticasts about the buinesss gains in this state what is the current stat rate of unemployment what is the average rates of pay for the worker that have been being suppressed by these same out sourcing coporation that this governor has had her nose shoved up the butts of the coporate business for way to long an she definetly needs to focus on the indivsual citizen in the state that are seriouly hurting in this currently business created evironment with the lost of our state manfacturing base an the outsourceing of other jobs to foreign countrys just so that they can reap a little larger coporate profit on their bottom lines they have suppress wages in this country long enough . it wouldnt suprise me one bit to an uprising ot the overal citizenery of this entire country thank you