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39. New Jersey

The Garden State is blooming with well-educated talent. But regulation is heavy, the economy is weak, and infrastructure is poor.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 268 5 23
Cost of Doing Business 98 43 43
Infrastructure 99 48 47
Economy 135 40 47
Quality of Life 211 13 (Tie) 18
Technology & Innovation 149 18 15
Education 142 5 4
Business Friendliness 27 47 37
Cost of Living 9 45 44
Access to Capital 43 8 (Tie) 11
Overall 1181 39 43

Economic Profile

Governor: Chris Christie, Republican

Population: 8,938,175

GDP growth: 0.4 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 6.5 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 9 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 8.97 percent

Gasoline tax: 32 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: A2/negative

Major private employer: Wakefern Food Corporation

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, New Jersey FY 2014 CAFR

FULL LIST: 2015 TOP STATES FOR BUSINESS

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