State Small Business Climate Ranking

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council released its state rankings on Policy Environment for Entrepreneurship. Pennsylvania ranks a middling 24th (1 is best). The rankings incorporate several taxes, government spending, health care costs and mandates, energy costs, workman’s comp, crime rates, Right-to-Work and minimum wage laws, and highway efficiency.

Here are some other recent rankings:

Tax Foundation State Business Tax Climate Index – 27th (1 is best).
Tax Foundation State and Local Tax Burden – 24th (50 is best)
CEO Magazine Best States to do Business – 37th (1 is best)
Forbes Magazine Best States For Business – 39th (1 is best)

This reads a bit different that Governor Rendell’s glamorous portrayal of Pennsylvania’s economic climate, citing the “most jobs ever” – which reads a bit like a They Might be Giants song:

You’re older than you’ve ever been
and now you’re even older
and now you’re even older
and now you’re even older
you’re older than you’ve ever been
and now you’re older still.