Advancing three places from a year ago, Arizona was ranked as the No. 9 state for business in Chief Executive magazine’s 13th annual Best & Worst States for Business survey, which was released today. The Chief Executive rankings reflect CEO perceptions of best and worst states based on a range of key measures. Arizona benefited because CEOs rank it highly in several key industries, and for its favorable living environment.
The top five states for 2017, in rank order, are Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Indiana. Full results and additional information can be found on ChiefExecutive.net/2017-BWStates, and in the May/June issue of Chief Executive.
In addition to the overall state rankings, Chief Executive’s 2017 Best & Worst States for Business survey also presents individual category rankings, including workforce, taxes/regulation, living environment, and best communication of business incentives. Additionally, states were ranked by major industry, including health care, technology, financial services and retail, among others.
Arizona’s rankings in key categories include:
· Living Environment: No. 9
· Taxes and Regulation: No. 13
· Workforce quality: No. 16
In state rankings by industry, Arizona fared well in five of seven categories tracked, including No. 4 in retail, No. 5 in energy/utilities, No. 6 in technology/telecommunications, No. 7 in pharmaceuticals/medical products, and No. 9 in health care.
“The annual Best and Worst States Survey is a key component of Arizona’s ability to attract new jobs,” said Marshall Cooper, CEO of Chief Executive Group, which has conducted the survey for the last 13 years. “The rankings capture current CEO perceptions of Arizona’s business climate, and are a good gauge of the state’s ability to attract and retain business investment in the future.”
