New constitutional amendment will help boost the state’s standing even further.
Alabama Ranked in Top 10 for Business Climate
Alabama has earned a spot in the top 10 in the
nation for its state business climate—and it may rise higher in 2017 thanks to
a constitutional amendment approved by voters last month.
Site Selection magazine, which is geared
toward providing information about business expansion to company decision
makers, ranked Alabama ninth in the nation, two spots higher than in 2015. The
magazine’s ranking criteria include higher education resources, incentives,
land and building prices, permitting, quality of life, state and local taxes,
transportation infrastructure, utilities, and workforce development. The South
performed well overall in Site Selection’s rankings, with Georgia coming at No.
1 and eight of the top 10 being southern states.
In addition to the magazine’s
state business climate report, Alabama placed eighth after a survey of
corporate site selectors ranked the states based on their experience locating
facilities for companies.
And thanks to the passage of
Amendment 8, Alabama may look even better to companies nationwide looking to
relocate, establish headquarters, open a new location, or set up shop.
Amendment 8, which was approved by 70 percent of voters, enshrines
the state’s right to work law in the constitution. Under this law, employers
may not deny an employee or prospective employee a job because of union
membership or lack of union membership.
NFIB supported the passage of
Amendment 8 because enshrining it in the constitution protects the law from
being overturned by future lawmakers, helps Alabama remain competitive
regionally and nationally, and provides more opportunities for small
businesses.
