Publication ranks Georgia as top state for business

ATLANTA - A publication that covers corporate site selection and relocation ranked Georgia as the No. 1 state in the U.S. for business for the eighth consecutive year. 

The piece in Area Development Magazine said Georgia ranks highly based on a poll of 50 private consulting firms. 

The magazine says Georgia got top scores in categories including the cost of doing business, state government cooperation and responsiveness and labor market competitiveness.

Gov. Brian Kemp touted the state's eighth top ranking. 

Factors that ranked Georgia the cost-leading state included easy-to-find qualified labor, the availability of workforce development programs, favorable real estate, energy costs and business incentives. 

Area Development described Georgia's state government as the most responsive and cooperative, explaining the successes of enough corporations and engagement of economic developers earned high remarks from the survey's responding consultants. 

Area Development wrote that companies chose Georgia for its low average wages compared to other states, with educational opportunities and quality-of-life factors that attract job seekers. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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