Florida Earns Second Place in 2012 Business Climate Ranking
In a national
survey of chief executive officers, respondents perceive that Florida is the
second best state for conducting business in 2012. The survey, administered by Chief
Executive Magazine, collected responses from 650 business leaders to rank
business climates in various states. CEOs rank states based on categories such
as taxation, regulation, workforce, and quality of life. Florida’s rank
advanced by one spot since 2011, and advanced by eight spots since 2008.
Florida received five out of five possible points for its living environment.
The state’s workforce quality and taxation environment resulted in four out of
five points, respectively.
According to
the CEO survey, Texas remains in first place as the best state in which to
conduct business. Texas earned perfect scores in the areas of taxation and
workforce quality, but received four out of five points for its living
environment. Texas currently leads the U.S. in total job creation with a net
employment gain of 245,700 from March 2011 to March 2012. Similarly, Florida
claims an above average net employment increase of 89,800 over-the-year, with a
1.7 percentage point drop in its jobless rate over the same period. Turning to
the worst performing state, California once again received last place for its
business environment. Although California earned high ratings for its living
environment, the state’s taxation and regulatory policies received the lowest
possible rating.
