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47. Alaska

The Last Frontier has a ready workforce and a welcoming regulatory climate. But falling oil prices have fouled the economy.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 252 9 27
Cost of Doing Business 107 41 39
Infrastructure 152 38 41
Economy 89 49 50
Quality of Life 168 27 (Tie) 30
Technology & Innovation 61 47 42
Education 86 36 (Tie) 30
Business Friendliness 104 10 10
Cost of Living 6 47 46
Access to Capital 16 35 21
Overall 1041 47 47

Economic Profile

Governor: Bill Walker, Independent

Population: 736,732

GDP growth: -1.3 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 6.8 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 9.4 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 0 percent

Gasoline tax: 29 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa/negative

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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