Get Ready For CNBC's Top States For Business 2008

As the nation’s economy cools off, the race to attract jobs heats up. Who’s winning?  CNBC and CNBC.com present our second annual look at America’s Top States for Business. 

Our exclusive study ranks all 50 states in ten categories of competitiveness. Which state has the lowest Cost of Doing Business?  The best Workforce?  Where will you find the best Economy?  Education?  Which state is tops for Quality of Life?  We also measure Technology and Innovation, Transportation, Cost of Living and Business Friendliness, and we show where businesses have the best Access to Capital. Then, we put it all together to rank America’s Top States for Business 2008

Not to give too much away, but our second annual study does show some notable changes from the 2007 results. 

Remember, the U.S. economy has been slowing down. Energy and commodity prices are rising.  That hurts some states, but helps others. Big changes in the jobless rate hurt some state economies, but increase the supply of available workers. Can Virginia repeat as America’s Top State for Business this year? Will those high energy prices help Alaska rebound from the bottom?

Watch CNBC throughout the day on Wednesday July 9 as we count down America’s Top States for Business. We'll start our countdown in the morning, highlighting one of the top five states every two hours, culminating with the announcement of the 2008 winner on "Closing Bell" around 4 p.m. ET. Then, come to CNBC.com to see how all the states -- including your own -- stack up.

We’ve crunched the numbers and come to our own conclusion. In the meantime, we want to know what you think. So, vote here for the state you think is the best for doing business.

© 2008 CNBC.com