Louisiana rises in business climate rankings

Louisiana rose 13 spots on a list of the best states in which to do business, according to a survey of 550 CEOs. The state finished 27th in the Chief Executive magazine survey, its highest finish since the survey began. The report looks at a range of issues: proximity to markets and resources, industry regulation, tax policies, workforce quality and education resources. For the sixth year in a row, Texas was ranked as the best state in which to do business, while North Carolina was ranked second-best yet again. Chief Executive noted that Louisiana has “been quietly stealing pages from the Texas playbook” by taking proactive steps to reshape its stance on business taxes and regulation. In five years, Louisiana has gone up 19 spots in the Chief Executive rankings; only Oklahoma, which has gone from 31st to 11th, has shown more improvement during that period. Improving Louisiana’s standing in these national business rankings has been a goal of Gov. Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret. Earlier this week, Site Selection magazine said LED was the top-performing state economic development agency in the nation during 2010. “When I took office in early 2008, I promised to make economic development our top priority, and we’ve done that by implementing aggressive policy reforms to make Louisiana more attractive for new business investment, as well as by supporting the growth of Louisiana’s existing business and industry,” Jindal says. To see the full Chief Executive list, click here.