Louisiana has 5th-best business climate in the nation, magazine says

Published Jul 20, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Updated Jul 20, 2012)

In its best showing yet on Business Facilities magazine's annual ranking of the states with the best business climate, Louisiana edged up two spots to No. 5. "Louisiana … has married an unmatched workforce training program with a bevy of new incentives that are spurring hot new growth sectors including digital media," the magazine says. Louisiana first cracked the top 10 in the magazine's "State Rankings Report" in 2008, when it was ranked No. 8 and was also named State of the Year. Gov. Bobby Jindal released a statement today saying the ranking is another signal of Louisiana's emergence as one of America's top climates for business investment and job creation. "This ranking speaks volumes about our work to eliminate burdensome business taxes, rein in excessive spending, reform our ethics system, and overhaul our workforce development system," Jindal says. "Indeed, the ranking demonstrates that our efforts are paying off, but more importantly, it shows that the business world is taking notice of Louisiana, and more and more companies are moving here to create jobs and opportunity for our people." Texas took the top spot in this year's list. Check out the magazine's story on its 2012 list here for more details and the complete top 10.