Forbes doesn’t release the metrics behind their designations or the precise weights they use for those metrics to reach their final conclusions–but they assure that business operating costs, including labor costs and energy–are the biggest factors. Inspite of climbing labor-costs and a middle-of-the-pack overall business cost ranking, Virginia continues to retain the lead because it ranks high in quality of life, regulation, economic environment, and labor supply and quality.

So relative to the rest of the country, we have succeeding businesses, good quality of life, a stable in-state economy that’s grown over the last five years faster than the average score for every other state, and a well-educated work-force that has been taking home more paycheck relative to the rest of the country lately. It’s true that when Forbes bemoans rising labor costs in the article that what they’re saying is, “we really wish all of you bums were making less money!” But leaving aside what those limp-wristed whiskey-sipping effete country club conservative elitists think for just a minute: shouldn’t we take at least a little bit of pride in knowing that businesses AND workers have been succeeding in Virginia lately?

(incidentally, the 26th growth potential rating is noteworthy, but Forbes’ other big complaint about Virginia is that labor costs are rising, driving business costs closer to the national average. Boo hoo. Hard working Virginians are earning more money, and we’re *still* the best state to do business in. I will DEFINITELY take a narrower lead over Utah if it means that Virginian workers have the opportunity to earn a brighter, more-secure financial future, especially while the national economy crumbles around us).