Yesterday, we released the names of the 10 Best and Worst States for Business in our Open for Business Index. Today, for the first time, we are releasing the entire list of the Open for Business Index rankings. On the chart below, you can find your state.
If you’re a business owner, consider how well your state is serving you. Are taxes low? Does your state produce educated citizens who are healthy enough to show up to work each day? Is your state’s infrastructure capable of transporting your goods to market efficiently? Is your state’s cost of living so high you have to pay your employees top dollar just so they can afford to survive? Do the laws in your state put you at risk for massive damages should something go wrong with one of your products?
The index gives employees something to consider as well. Of the top 10 states, all protect citizens from forced unionization with a right-to-work law, and none of the 10 worst do. Right-to-work laws eliminate the union middlemen who want to take a cut of your paycheck in order for you to get a job. And a low cost of living is of as much or more importance to the employee as to the employer. Education and health are also brought to a company via its employees. Does your state adequately prepare your children for jobs in school?
If you’re an out-of-work employee or an entrepreneur looking for a place to start a successful business, vote with your feet, your dollars, and your spirit. Give yourself the best chances of being successful by locating your business in one of our 10 Best States for Business.
On the other hand, if you’re a politician in one of the states on the wrong end of our Open for Business Index, consider what you could do better to serve your citizens. Lower taxes, better education and health outcomes, better infrastructure, and protection of citizens from forced unionization via a right-to-work law are all steps you can take today to make your state more competitive.
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