Arizona jumped two spots in Chief Executive Magazine’s annual “Best & Worst States for Business” survey — moving from 9th to 7th best state to do business. The annual ranking reflects the preferences of top business leaders from around the country.

“With a booming economy, budget surplus, talented workforce, low regulation and tax environment, and unbeatable quality of life, it’s no wonder business leaders increasingly want to come to Arizona,” said Governor Ducey. “The word is out on Arizona. We are open for opportunity. And we will continue to implement smart policies that grow jobs and allow us to continue investing in the things that matter.”

In its survey, Chief Executive Magazine highlighted Arizona’s jobs explosion:

“Business is booming in Arizona, and a recent report from the Office of     Economic Opportunity estimates the Grand Canyon State will add nearly     543,000 jobs through 2026. Amazon, Acronis, Valor Global and     TEKsystems have announced expansions here in the past year, and     Infosys will soon create an innovation hub in Phoenix that will hire 1,000     workers by 2023.”

California ranked last in the survey, followed by New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut, states with heavy taxes and regulations.

“The rules, regulations and taxes for everything in California have been ridiculous,” said one CEO. “Every time we do a project there, we have some surprise rule or reg that costs both us and our clients a lot of money. Far worse than any other state.”

Here is what CEOs are saying about doing business in Arizona:

“We’re excited to open a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Tucson and to continue innovating in a state committed to providing great opportunities for jobs and customer experience.” —Mark Stewart, Vice President, Amazon’s North America Operations

“Arizona is an attractive place to do business, with its strong infrastructure, emphasis on innovation, rich pool of talent and overall quality of life.” — Karen McLoughlin, Chief Financial Officer, Cognizant

“We are strategically located in Arizona to take full advantage of all the resources the state has to offer. The expansion of our Tempe facility will bring hundreds of technical and nontechnical jobs to the community.” — Pete Clavell, Regional Director of Recruiting, TEKsystems