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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

2020 Top States Commentary: A Premium on Skills and Training

States having competitive labor markets also have highly regarded training programs.

Q3 2020
One of the biggest challenges facing occupiers and economic development organizations is how to accelerate economic recovery. There is an urgency to create as many new job opportunities as possible, and economic development organizations play a critical role in that effort.

There is currently a premium on skills and training, and states that continue to invest in workforce development are becoming increasingly crucial amidst the era of COVID-19. It comes as no surprise that of the top 10 performing states in terms of overall votes, 9 were among the top states for having a competitive labor market, and 8 of those were also among the top states for their workforce training programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Another shift that was brought to light by the pandemic is a more continued focus on transparency and accountability between public and private partnerships. These partnerships have shifted from a “one-and-done” model to one of ongoing engagement as companies navigate a volatile environment. As such, among the top 10 performing states in terms of overall votes, 8 were also among the top states for having a cooperative and responsive state government, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

TOP STATES FOR DOING BUSINESS 2020

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Tennessee
  3. 3. South Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5. North Carolina
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7. Indiana
  8. 8. Virginia
  9. 9. Ohio
  10. 10. Florida
  11. 11. Mississippi
  12. 12. Louisiana
  13. 13. Utah
  14. 14. Arizona
  15. 15. Kentucky
  16. 16. Michigan
  17. 17. Missouri
  18. 18. Oklahoma
  19. 19. New York
  20. 20. Illinois

Individual Categories

Overall Cost of Doing Business

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. South Carolina
  5. 5T. Indiana
  6. 5T. North Carolina
  7. 7T. Alabama
  8. 7T. Mississippi
  9. 9. Utah
  10. 10. Virginia

Business Incentives Programs

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. South Carolina
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4T. Alabama
  5. 4T. Mississippi
  6. 6. Texas
  7. 7. Virginia
  8. 8T. Ohio
  9. 8T. Louisiana
  10. 8T. North Carolina

Access to Capital & Project Funding

  1. 1T. New York
  2. 1T. California
  3. 3. Texas
  4. 4. Massachusetts
  5. 5T. Georgia
  6. 5T. Illinois
  7. 7T. North Carolina
  8. 7T. Florida
  9. 9. Ohio
  10. 10. Colorado

Competitive Labor Environment

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. North Carolina
  3. 3T. Tennessee
  4. 3T. Texas
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7T. South Carolina
  8. 7T. Utah
  9. 9. Virginia
  10. 10. Ohio

Workforce Training Programs

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Louisiana
  3. 3. Alabama
  4. 4T. Virginia
  5. 4T. South Carolina
  6. 6T. Tennessee
  7. 6T. North Carolina
  8. 8. Ohio
  9. 9T. Kentucky
  10. 9T. Indiana

Energy Availability & Costs

  1. 1T. Georgia
  2. 1T. Tennessee
  3. 3. North Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5.
  6. 6T. Alabama
  7. 6T. South Carolina
  8. 8T. Indiana
  9. 8T. Mississippi
  10. 8T. Louisiana
  11. 8T. Kentucky

Logistics & Infrastructure

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. Indiana
  5. 5. Ohio
  6. 6T. South Carolina
  7. 6T. Virginia
  8. 8T. Florida
  9. 8T. Illinois
  10. 10. Missouri

Site-Readiness Programs

  1. 1. Tennessee
  2. 2. Georgia
  3. 3. North Carolina
  4. 4. South Carolina
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7T. Virginia
  8. 7T. Ohio
  9. 7T. Michigan
  10. 10. Texas

Available Real Estate

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. North Carolina
  5. 5T. Alabama
  6. 5T. Indiana
  7. 5T. Ohio
  8. 8. South Carolina
  9. 9T. Florida
  10. 9T. Mississippi

Cooperative & Responsive State Government

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. South Carolina
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. North Carolina
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6T. Alabama
  7. 6T. Virginia
  8. 8. Mississippi
  9. 9T. Texas
  10. 9T. Arizona

Corporate Tax Structure

  1. 1. Florida
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. Georgia
  5. 5. Nevada
  6. 6. South Dakota
  7. 7. North Carolina
  8. 8. South Carolina
  9. 9T. Indiana
  10. 9T. Ohio

Favorable Regulatory Environment

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2T. Tennessee
  3. 2T. South Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5. Alabama
  6. 6. Indiana
  7. 7. North Carolina
  8. 8. Mississippi
  9. 9T. Virginia
  10. 9T. Louisiana

Speed of Project Permitting

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Alabama
  3. 3. South Carolina
  4. 4. Tennessee
  5. 5. Mississippi
  6. 6. Louisiana
  7. 7T. Texas
  8. 7T. Indiana
  9. 9. North Carolina
  10. 10T. Virginia
  11. 10T. Utah
  12. 10T. Arizona
  13. 10T. Missouri

Exclusive Research