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16. Florida

The economy in the Sunshine State is glimmering again, but education issues are dragging down a traditionally strong workforce.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 232 19 3
Cost of Doing Business 162 31 37
Infrastructure 210 16 27
Economy 228 11 (Tie) 11
Quality of Life 146 32 28
Technology & Innovation 154 17 12
Education 101 26 (Tie) 38
Business Friendliness 64 27 35
Cost of Living 36 27 31
Access to Capital 36 15 7
Overall 1369 16 20

Economic Profile

Governor: Rick Scott, Republican

Population: 19,893,297

GDP growth: 2.7 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 5.7 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 5.5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 0 percent

Gasoline tax: 54 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Orlando Business Journal

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