North Carolina again ranks No. 3 in the nation among the top-performing states in Chief Executive magazine’s 2018 Best & Worst States for Business survey.
Chief Executive surveyed 300 CEOs across the country for the 2018 report. In addition to the overall state rankings, the survey gauges CEO perceptions of states in the categories of workforce, taxes and regulation, and living environment.
North Carolina, which tied for the No. 3 spot overall with South Carolina, scored particularly well among CEOs assessing its workforce (No. 5 in the nation) and living environment (No. 6). In the 2017 survey, North Carolina also ranked third overall.
“CEOs are the key decision-makers that decide when and where companies create jobs,” said Chris Chalk, publisher of Chief Executive magazine. “This year’s survey shows that business-friendly policies have a direct impact on the reputation of each state, ultimately determining which states thrive.”
In announcing the award, the magazine highlighted a number of headline-grabbing projects announced in North Carolina in 2017, including:
- Credit Suisse hiring an additional 1,200 workers and constructing a $70 million building at its campus in Research Triangle Park.
- Austrian company EGGER Wood Products establishing its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Davidson County, a $700 million investment expected to create 400 new jobs over six years and another 370 jobs over the following nine years.
- Allstate Insurance expanding its Charlotte operations center and adding 2,250 new jobs by 2020.
- Global technology outsourcing firm Infosys selecting Raleigh for a new innovation and technology hub that will employ 2,000 people.
The top states in the survey were Texas, followed by Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to Chief Executive’s 2018 “Best and Worst States for Business.”
The worst place is No. 50 California, bested only slightly by No. 49 New York, No. 48 Illinois, No. 47 New Jersey, No. 46 Connecticut and No. 45 Massachusetts.
Visit Chief Executive magazine’s website for full coverage of the 2018 Best and Worst States for Business report.