Richmond, VIRGINIA – Barry DuVal, President and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement regarding Virginia’s consecutive recognition as the Top State for Business by CNBC. The full ranking, released today, is available at https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/13/americas-top-states-for-business.html.

“Today’s ranking reaffirms what we already knew – Virginia is the best state for business. The ranking reflects our long-standing investments in workforce training and our robust education system, while also recognizing the increasingly inclusive nature of the Commonwealth. This ranking validates our approach to maintain Virginia’s standing as the top state for business through long-term planning efforts and targeted policy recommendations as part of Blueprint Virginia.

“Although we are proud of this distinction, it is important for us to not get complacent. It is going to take a growth mindset and vigilance to maintain our status as the top state for business. The ranking also highlighted targeted areas for improvement. In December, the Virginia Chamber will release the Commonwealth’s next statewide strategic plan, Blueprint Virginia 2030, and through this initiative we will provide Virginia’s elected officials with a policy roadmap to support our return as the best state for business in the years to come.

“Continued growth of Virginia’s economy, support of our longstanding investments in workforce, education, and promotion of greater equity and inclusion will serve as the foundational components for the road ahead. The Virginia Chamber will continue to work for what is right for Virginia’s businesses and its workers to keep our economy strong.”

CNBC’s methodology incorporated 85 metrics across 10 categories. Some of the key features of the 2021 metrics include an increased importance of the “Cost of Doing Business” and “Infrastructure” categories. Additionally, a new category, “Life, Health and Inclusion” has been added in place of the former “Quality of Life” category. This new category includes metrics relating to the battle against Covid-19, health care, and inclusiveness. The full methodology can be found here.

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