Ohio is increasingly viewed as a business friendly state, according to the latest survey by Chief Executive Magazine. The improved rankings may be a sign that Ohio has finally shed its rust-belt reputation.
This year’s survey of CEOs across the country ranks Ohio’s business climate in the top 10 for the second time since 2016.
Business leaders gave the Buckeye State above average marks in the three categories of taxation and regulation, workforce quality, and favorable living environment.
The CEOs praised Ohio’s near-record investments in infrastructure and road repairs in recent years. And they acknowledged the shift toward technology and finance as major drivers of the state economy, according to Chief Executive Magazine CEO Wayne Cooper.
“Ohio has been moving up in the rankings pretty consistently over the past five-plus years and is now No. 10 in the top 10, which is a great tribute to the hard work of enlightened leaders within the state.”
Not all surveys give Ohio a gold star. The conservative think-tank the Tax Foundation gives Ohio an ‘F’ for its reliance on the corporate Commercial Activities Tax and personal and corporate income taxes to pay its bills.
