Forbes magazine named Georgia the No. 11 best state for business. This is an upgrade from No. 16 in 2014.
However, the state was also subtly chastised because 18 percent of its citizens live below the poverty line, one of the highest in the nation.
In compiling its list, the business publication said it weighed several pieces of data from Moody’s Analytics, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. While the most attention is paid to business costs, such as labor, energy and taxes, other factors considered include labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
The publication ranked the Peach State:
- 9 in regulatory environment
- 11 in growth prospects
- 13 in labor supply
- 21 in economic climate
- 32 in quality of life
- 34 in business costs
“Georgia’s once robust economy has slowed in recent years, but the state still maintains a pro-business climate,” Forbes reported. “Big companies headquartered in the state include Home Depot (NYSE: HD), UPS (NYSE: UPS), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and Southern Company(NYSE: SO). Union workers make up only 4.3 percent of Georgia’s employment base, which is one of the lowest rates in the country. The Tax Foundation’s ‘Location Matters’ study rates Georgia’s corporate tax climate as the third best in the U.S.”
Below is a list of Forbes’ top 11 states for businesses and careers:
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