For the seventh year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business and California as the worst.
In this area, Oklahoma jumped up 8 spots to the 11th position, while New Mexico dropped three slots down to 32.
North Carolina maintained its #2 rank, while Florida rose three positions to the #3 spot. Tennessee fell one slot from last year to #4 while Georgia climbed two positions to claim the #5 rank. The biggest loser...Illinois dropped 40 spots, blamed on their recent tax increases for businesses and residents.
Texas has consistently held the No. 1 position since 2005. The state gets strong marks in all areas important for job creation, notes Chief Executive magazine. Full coverage of the rankings can be found at ChiefExecutive.net, while a state-specific summary can be found at ChiefExecutive.net/Texas.
Chief Executive Magazine's annual "Best & Worst States" survey takes the pulse of CEOs on business conditions around the nation. For the 2011 survey, 550 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states on a broad range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, education resources, quality of living and infrastructure.
"A handful of states have made business-friendly policies a priority," says J.P. Donlon, Editor-in-Chief of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. "These forward-thinking states are the exception rather than the rule and include Oklahoma Utah, Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Texas."
CEOs voted California as the worst state in 2011, with New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan rounding out the bottom five.
For complete results, including individual state rankings, an interactive map and methodology, please visit chiefexecutive.net.
