MO ranks 29th on Forbes' top business states list

Missouri has ranked 29th on Forbes list of the best states for business and careers.

The report, released Dec. 12, measures states based on six categories: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

At No. 10, Missouri scored the highest in the regulatory environment category, which Forbes defines as metrics influenced by government such as labor regulations, health insurance mandates, tort systems and right-to-work laws.

Forbes' Missouri profile pointed to major industries including aerospace, food processing, printing and publishing, electrical equipment and beer, as well as growing science and biotechnology fields.

Missouri also ranked 21st in the cost of doing business, 28th in economic climate, 29th in quality of life, 41st in labor supply and 42nd in growth prospects, according to the report.

On the overall list, Utah ranked No. 1, and Maine ranked 50th. Missouri's bordering states ranked as follows: Nebraska, No. 6; Oklahoma, No. 9; Iowa, No. 10; Kansas, No. 13;  Tennessee, No. 24; Kentucky, No. 28; Arkansas, No. 35; and Illinois, No. 38.