Florida Among Top 5 States for Best Business Climate

According to a recent study by Development Counselors International (DCI), Florida ranked fourth in the nation among states with the best business climates. Executives responding to the survey cited three factors as the most important in their decision making process for choosing specific locations: a strong labor market, low operating costs and a pro-business climate.

Texas ranked first in the survey, followed by North Carolina, Georgia and then Florida and Tennessee tied for fourth. Nevada rounded out the top five. DCI said its survey, conducted every three years, was sent to a random selection of 3,591 U.S. companies with annual revenue of at least $25 million. Not surprisingly, California was viewed as the state with the least favorable business climate. New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts rounded out the bottom five.

According to DCI President Andrew T. Levine, "states and their economic development organizations need to pay close attention to the results of this survey, as perceptions about a location's business climate often play a crucial role in site selection decisions and where companies invest money and create jobs."

The survey is good news for the State of Florida as it tries to rebound from the last two years of the housing downturn. It also comes on the heels of last years study by bizjournals.com, showing Florida is a great place for small business. That report listed the top ten markets and Florida held four of those top five spots.