Back to Back: Forbes Names NC Best State for Business for Second Year in a Row

RALEIGH – For the second year in a row, Forbes Magazine has named the Old North State the best state in the nation for business. While other states have bigger incentives, and some have higher growth, no one state, according to Forbes, has a better combination of factors for businesses to succeed.

“North Carolina ranks as FORBES’ Best State for Business for the second straight year (2017 was its first time on top). With one of the highest net migration rates in the U.S., people have been flocking to North Carolina for the past decade. The state has the second smallest union workforce in the U.S. in terms of percent of total employment (South Carolina is first). The resulting benefit is labor costs that are 9% below the national average—sixth lowest in the country. North Carolina has ranked in the top five overall for 14 straight years.”

And why wouldn’t people want to move their families and businesses here, especially considering improvements under Republican legislative leadership in the last several years? Low and falling tax rates, shrinking regulations, low energy costs combine with the mountains, the coast, the schools and research hubs, and especially the people, to create (in our view) the greatest state in the nation.

“Forbes has rated the business climates of the 50 states annually since 2006, with only North Carolina (twice), Utah (six times) and Virginia (five times) finishing in the top spot. The 13th version looks at 41 metrics across six main categories: business costs, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. North Carolina was the only state to rank among the top 12 in all six categories (click here for a detailed methodology).”

You can read more about the states that are trailing North Carolina for the second year in a row here, but why would you want to? The ‘First in Freedom’ state is first in business climate. Even so, we can get so much better as long as the honorables on Jones Street rededicate themselves to making North Carolina the best in how its government treats all it’s people and businesses. You know, ‘Esse Quam Videri’ – To BE, rather than to seem.

The rest we can take care of ourselves.