Florida lost lots of ground in CNBC’s annual ranking of business-friendly states.
A stingy investment climate helped knock Florida into the bottom half of the list
of “America’s Top States for Business,” falling from No. 18 in 2011 to No. 29.
Florida took the biggest hit in the category access to capital, falling from No. 9
in 2011 down to No. 24 this year. There was a 7 point drop to No. 42
in education. Florida does rank extremely high for its workforce -- No. 3 down
from No. 2 last year -- in part thanks to its low ratio of unionized workers.
CNBC continues to rank the Sunshine State’s economy among the worst in the
nation, with Florida retaining its No. 47 slot in that category.
The top 5 states for business, according to the ranking:
1. Texas #1 in Infrastructure & Transportation; #35 in Quality of Life)
2. Utah (#6 in Cost of Living; #45 in Education)
3. Virginia (#3 in Business Friendliness; #33in Infrastructure & Transportation)
4. North Carolina (#3 in Workforce; #31 in Economy)
5. North Dakota (#2 in Economy; #47 in Technology & Innovation)
DOUGLAS HANKS