North Carolina rises to #2 on Forbes' 'Best States for Business and Careers' list
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- North Carolina has moved up in ranks as one of the top states in the U.S. that are thriving thanks to strong workforces, low business costs and pro-business regulatory environments, according to Forbes.
We rank number 2 on Forbes' just-released "Best States for Business and Careers" rankings. Last year, North Carolina was ranked 3rd.
According to the business magazine, the Tar Heel State is the only one to appear in the top five every year of their best states study.
North Carolina has the smallest union workforce in percentage terms in the U.S., which the magazine says keeps costs down. Labor costs are 10 percent below the national average and fifth lowest in the U.S., according to Moody's Analytics.
Forbes wrote that our state also boasts a strong labor force and business-friendly incentive, legal and regulatory environments.
"North Carolina attracted more new facilities and expansions in 2014 than any other state, according to Site Selection magazine. The influx has continued in 2015 with multiple major expansions. Novo Nordisk announced plans in August to invest more than $1 billion for a bio-manufacturing facility and more than double its workforce in North Carolina with an additional 700 jobs. A month earlier software firm Interactive Intelligence detailed plans to create 200 new jobs in Durham. Both companies cited the benefits of the Research Triangle Park area with its wealth of technical talent and strong universities."
