Forbes – North Carolina moves up one spot to third. People have descended on North Carolina for the past decade, and it boasts one of the highest net migration rates in the U.S. Many are chasing jobs. The state’s unemployment rate was stuck above 10% for most of 2009 through 2011, but was down to a recent 6.7% and the outlook is bright. North Carolina has the smallest union workforce in the U.S. in percentage terms. The resulting benefit is labor costs that are 16% below the national average-third lowest in the country. North Carolina has ranked in the top five overall each year of our Best States study.

North Carolina moved up a spot to No. 2 on Site Selection magazine's annual ranking  of business climates. Georgia claimed top spot for the third year in a row. The list is based on a survey of corporate site selectors and an index of seven criteria, including the number of new plants, new projects and state tax burdens.

North Carolina ranked No. 10 in the categories of high-tech performance and innovation and entrepreneurship in a U.S. Chamber Foundation report.

NC Ranks #8 – Consultants to industry continue to rank North Carolina highly in crucial infrastructure areas including competitive utility rates, energy reliability and smart grid deployment, and certified sites/shovel-ready programs. North Carolina updated its Certified Sites program, which has vast digital capabilities. The state also has continued to rank highly for its labor climate, with the nation’s lowest unionization rate, and in the quality of its workforce.

NC ties for 3rd – Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina are viewed as having the best business climates among the 50 states, according to a new survey of U.S. corporate executives released on October 20, 2014 at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference. When asked why they selected the states they did [...]

A report from the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council ranked North Carolina No. 6 in economic outlook competitiveness. The state’s 2013 tax reform helped it jump sixteen spots, from No. 22 on last year’s list, which is based on trends in economic growth. First in ranking was Utah, while New York was last.