A new "business-friendly" rankings list has appeared and Montana lands in the #30 spot among the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. This is after Forbes Magazine put us as #42 and a little-known magazine called "Business Facilities" ranked us as #1. Interesting.
Obviously, these rankings need to be scrutinized. A difference of 42 spots from one list to the next has to raise a few eyebrows. I've always said that only business people who operate in more than one state can truly tell you how "state X "matches up against "state Y."
Rankings can only tell you so much about how a state stacks up to the rest of the country. Montana, as far as I'm concerned, has a great quality of life, a good labor pool with a hard work ethic, good schools and more. We lag behind other states when it comes to competitive tax structures, the cost of work comp premiums, our state's regulatory environment, affordable housing and employment laws. I'd prefer us to be in the top three of all the business rankings, so that's why we'll keep working for the entrepreneurs and job creators of our state.
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