Study - N.C. 2nd Best State For Business

North Carolina is the second-best state in which to conduct business, according to Chief Executive magazine.The magazine evaluates states on natural resources, regulation, tax policies, quality of living, education and infrastructure, among others. North Carolina ranked No. 3 last year.The state’s best asset is its work force, the magazine says. Chief Executive ranked North Carolina’s work force as third-best in the country.Other areas of strength included access to capital (No. 10), business friendliness (No. 10), transportation (No. 15) and technology and innovation (No. 18).Texas maintained its ranking of first on the list, which was based on surveys of more than 500 chief executives. The magazine says states that perform well in the rankings tend to have lower taxes and little unionization.California and New York were ranked the worst and the second worst, respectively.