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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana ranked fifth in the nation and first in the Midwest in a recent “Best/Worst States for Business” survey of more than 500 CEOs, conducted by Chief Executive magazine.
Connecticut-based Chief Executive asked the CEOs to evaluate states in terms of taxes and regulations, workforce quality and living environment. On a national basis, Indiana ranked No. 4 in workforce quality, No. 10 in taxation and regulations, and No. 17 in living environment.
The No. 5 national ranking was one slot higher than the state’s No. 6 finish in 2015’s edition of the survey.
Indiana “has its act together and is impressive,” according to an anonymous CEO quoted by the magazine in its 12th annual survey. The state offers “not just competitive incentives for business, but also packages that improve the skill sets to hire a qualified, work-ready workforce,” said another.
Among 12 Midwestern states, Indiana ranked No. 2 in both workforce quality and living environment, and No. 3 in taxation and regulations—good for a No. 1 ranking overall in the region.
Texas again sat atop the national list of best states for business, scoring best (No. 5) for workforce quality. The worst was California, which landed dead-last for taxation and regulations.
Of the Midwestern states, Hoosier neighbor Illinois had the poorest showing with a No. 48 ranking for the entire nation.
“This ranking confirms what we in the Hoosier state already know to be true, that Indiana holds the line on spending, maintains strong reserves and keeps the cost of doing business affordable through record tax cuts,” Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said in a press release.
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