Operating on a system of 88 metrics – including child-care, health resources, and voting rights – a new CNBC-conducted study has named Texas as the second worst state to live in for workers. Conversely, Texas was called the fifth best state for businesses.
For the past 15 years, CNBC has published an annual report ranking America’s Top States for Business. Their criteria involves 10 broad categories of competitiveness, how often states advertise these categories when advertising themselves, as well as consultation with business experts, policy experts, and the states.
Here, they’ve concluded Texas to be fifth best, trailing North Carolina at number 1, followed by Washington, Virginia, and Colorado. The state scored highest in the categories of Workforce (2), Access to Capital (3), and Technology and Innovation (4).
Texas scored lowest in Life, Health, and Inclusion. This category considers per capita crime rates, environmental quality, protections against discrimination, voting rights, and public health.
In correlation with the America’s Top States for Business, CNBC published its rankings of the worst US states to live in for workers:
“In this era of severe worker shortages and unprecedented mobility, employees are demanding great quality of life in the state where they work,” the report reads.
Following Arizona at number 1, Texas ranked as the second worst state to live in, according to the study.
“Skilled workers are still flocking to Texas despite longstanding quality of life issues,” the study reads. “According to Census data, the state ranks No. 3 for net migration of college educated workers behind Florida and Washington. But when they arrive, they are finding limited childcare options, a stressed health care system with the highest rate of uninsured, new curbs on voting rights, and few protections against discrimination.”
The article reiterates the state’s “F” grade in Life, Health, and Inclusion, where it scored 72 out of 325 points, as well as its the state’s poor scores in childcare, health resources, inclusiveness, and voting rights.