Tennessee is the 3rd Best State for Business 2014

Previous State: Florida Next State: North Carolina

No. 3 Tennessee

Taxations & Regulations

Workforce Quality

Living Environment

Key Metrics
State GDP 
  • % Growth ’12-’13: 1.7
  • % Growth ’11-’12 v. Nat’l Avg. (2.5%): 0.8

Unemployment

  • Unemployment Rate Dec. 2013 %: 7.8
  • Comparison with Nat’l Rate (6.70%): -1.1

Domestic Migration

  • Domestic Net Migration 2013: 12,649
  • Rank: 11

State Government

  • State Debt per Capita Fiscal Year ’13 ($): 911
  • State & Local Gov’t Employees per 10k Residents: 527.8

State-Local Tax Burden

  • Rate (%): 7.7%
  • Compared to Nat’l Avg. (9.9%): -2.15%
Key Companies
  • FedEx Services
  • International Paper Company
  • Dollar General
  • Unum Group
  • Autozone
Development Trend Indicator: Negative
Rock-solid labor reputation takes a hit from VW dalliance with UAW.
CEO Comments
“In Tennessee, a right-to-work state, the factors listed above are all good for manufacturing as well as high tech, especially in the Nashville area.” 

“Tennessee is outstanding.”


Based on CEO Survey by ChiefExecutive.net

Sources:
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Labor Statistics
NewGeography.com
The Tax Foundation

J.P. Donlon

J.P. Donlon is Editor Emeritus of Chief Executive magazine.

Share
Published by
J.P. Donlon

Recent Posts

The CEO’s Guide To A Stronger Immune System

To protect your immune system as you age, take steps to protect your overall health.…

4 hours ago

Don Yaeger’s The Film Room: 5 Ways To Make Your Processes More Efficient

The leaders who win consistently are those who sweat details, design for loyalty and experience…

23 hours ago

Playbook: Successful Corporate Transformations

More than a third of large organizations are undergoing business transformations at any given time,…

2 days ago

5 Coaching Conversations Every New Manager Needs

In the first 90 days, the right conversations matter more than most new managers realize—and…

2 days ago

Motorola Solutions’ Greg Brown Is Chief Executive Magazine’s 2026 CEO Of The Year

A committee of his peer CEOs recognized Brown for transforming a once-struggling cellular handset manufacturer…

2 days ago

Ram Charan: A Manufacturing Playbook For A Turbulent New Era

The bestselling author and advisor to CEOs shares what he’s counseling manufacturers as they navigate…

4 days ago