Louisiana Receives Its Highest Ranking Ever In CEO Survey Of State Business Climates

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Chief Executive reported that CEOs nationwide rank Louisiana No. 7 in the U.S., the state’s highest position ever, in the magazine’s annual ranking of Best & Worst States for Business. The report continues the state’s ascent in national business climate rankings, with Louisiana showing the greatest improvement of any state in the U.S. over the past seven years. Since January 2008, Louisiana has improved a nation-best 40 spots in the Chief Executive survey.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said, “Louisiana now stands as a formidable force in the global competition for jobs. In multiple national surveys, executives from around the country have recognized that Louisiana’s business climate is not only strong, but one of the best in the nation. This latest rating is a further confirmation that our efforts to make economic development our top priority have paid off. We have created a business environment where companies want to invest and create jobs for our citizens. As more business leaders look to our state for their next investment, we are assured that Louisiana’s future is bright.”

Chief Executive Editor-in-Chief J.P. Donlon said of Louisiana’s performance, “Louisiana is proof that a state can transform itself, provided it has the will and understanding of what attracts business investment, from a place that was once considered a backwater to a state that CEOs now regard as dynamic and business-friendly.”

In every major national business climate ranking, Louisiana stands higher today than it ever did before 2008, including rankings by Area Development, Beacon Hill Institute, Business Facilities, Chief Executive, CNBC, DCI, Forbes, Pollina Corporate Real Estate and Site Selection. Prior to 2008, Louisiana never ranked among the top 10 states in any national business climate ranking. Today, Louisiana ranks among the top 10 states in most of them.

Since January 2008, LED has secured major economic development wins that are resulting in more than 91,000 new jobs and more than $62 billion in new capital investment in Louisiana. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Louisiana’s private-sector employment growth since January 2008 ranks second best in the South and seventh best in the U.S.

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Chief Executive magazine provides ideas, strategies and tactics for top executive leaders seeking to build more effective organizations. To learn more about the 2015 Best & Worst States for Business, visit www.chiefexecutive.net.