47. Alaska

The Last Frontier is a wonder to behold, with a welcoming regulatory climate. But the state’s economy is contracting as energy production on the North Slope declines.

Published 4:20 PM ET Tue, 24 June 2014 Updated 3:14 PM ET Wed, 2 July 2014 CNBC.com

Category	Score	2014 Rank	2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	163	39	25
Workforce	142	27 (Tie)	36
Quality of Life	134	30 (Tie)	35
Infrastructure & Transportation	134	41	38
Economy	113	50	23
Education	69	30 (Tie)	35
Technology & Innovation	82	42	50
Business Friendliness	151	10	10
Cost of Living	5	46	49
Access to Capital	15	21 (Tie)	39
Overall	1008	47	44

Economic Profile

Governor: Sean Parnell, Republican

Population: 7,351,322

GDP growth: -2.5 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 6.4 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 9.4 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 0 percent

Gasoline tax: 31 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa/stable

Major private employer: Providence Health & Services

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Alaska.gov

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