Virginia has taken second place in Forbes’ annual ‘Best States for Business’ Survey, helped by a top ranking in the category of regulatory environment for business.
The survey cited Virginia’s “strong incentive offerings” and “business friendly government policies.”
The Commonwealth came in among the top five states in half of the categories considered in the annual study and in the top half of states in all categories.
Speaking about the top ranking, Governor Bob McDonnell said, “This study reaffirms what those working and doing business in Virginia already know. My administration has been aggressive in making sure that Virginia has the best possible environment for private sector businesses to start up, grow and create jobs. Our focus on economic development and jobs has yielded results, with the unemployment rate dropping from 7.3 percent when I took office to 5.7 percent in October. Our work is not done, and to continue to be a national leader in business climate, I launched a regulatory reform initiative in October to serve as one-stop portal for citizens to submit ideas. Smart regulatory reform will produce a freer and better environment for citizens and businesses, and allow the private sector to continue creating jobs and opportunity in the Commonwealth.”
