State Workers Help Minnesota Rank 5th for Business in CNBC Study Ranking among the nation’s best states for business shows what happens when public investment, working people and a strong economy work together.

Minnesota has something businesses across the country are looking for: a state that works. 

According to CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business ranking, Minnesota is the fifth-best state in the nation for business — climbing from No. 10 last year. Only Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas rank higher. 

CNBC’s 2026 study evaluated all 50 states using 138 metrics across 10 broad categories of competitiveness. This year, infrastructure received the greatest weight, reflecting businesses’ demand for reliable transportation, utilities, water, energy and industrial sites, as well as faster permitting. 

That is worth celebrating, but it is also worth asking a vital question: What makes Minnesota such a great place to do business? 

The answer is bigger than tax rates, corporate incentives or the latest shiny economic development. It comes down to the terrific workers who make our state run. 

MAPE’s state workers are a critical part of the infrastructure that allows businesses to open their doors, hire workers, make investments and prosper. From maintaining roads and bridges to educating the workforce, protecting public health, administering tax laws and providing the services that businesses and families rely on, public employees help create the conditions that foster a strong economy. 

“We make Minnesota a great place for business by administering and enforcing its tax laws,” Joseph Sullivan, Revenue Tax Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Revenue and MAPE Trustees Committee Chair, said. “It’s counterintuitive because a lot of business owners would claim that the laws they have to follow and subsequent taxes they must pay make Minnesota a worse business environment, however the tax revenue they contribute are a vital part of what makes Minnesota great. Tax revenues are used to fund infrastructure projects, educate the workforce, provide social safety nets, etc. These are the kinds of things that provide businesses with the workforce, resources and opportunities they need to thrive, innovate and be profitable.” 

That is the often-overlooked side of the business debate. Taxes are not simply a cost on a spreadsheet; They are investments in public goods that make a functioning economy possible. 

A business does not operate in a vacuum. It needs roads to move products, schools to educate future employees, reliable utilities to keep the lights on, public safety, clean water and a workforce that can afford to live in the communities where it works. It needs a government capable of collecting revenue fairly and investing it effectively, which is where unions come in. 

Minnesota’s economic success should not be measured solely by how attractive the state is to corporations. A truly successful economy is one where working people have a voice, families can build secure lives and small and midsize businesses can thrive alongside larger employers. 

“Unions help fight for all working people, not just union workers, by fostering solidarity and civic engagement,” Ann Adkisson, State Program Sr. Administrator for the Minnesota Department of Revenue and MAPE Region 14 Director, said. “Unions are the foundation that challenges inequality and corporate power. We have helped pass paid sick leave and family leave laws, among others. Unions also impact economic policies that benefit communities and small to medium-size businesses, allowing those to thrive and build in a democratic culture while making it more equitable for all.” 

A blossoming business environment gives Minnesota an opportunity to keep investing in the public services that make Minnesota competitive. It gives workers an opportunity to demand good jobs with fair wages and strong benefits. And it gives Minnesotans an opportunity to have a bigger conversation about how the wealth generated by our economy is shared. 

Because if Minnesota is going to be one of the best states in the country for business, it should also be one of the best states in the country for working people. 

That means continuing to advocate for progressive tax policies that ask those who have benefited the most from Minnesota’s economy to contribute their fair share. When businesses succeed and wealth grows, Minnesota has an opportunity to make sure that prosperity does not simply accumulate at the top. It can be invested back into schools, infrastructure, healthcare, public services, workers and communities. 

Gov. Tim Walz highlighted the connection between public investment and economic growth when celebrating Minnesota’s ranking. 

“Minnesota continues to climb in the ranks among top states for businesses, a testament to our investments in key areas that make our businesses and economy strong, including our historic investments in paid family and medical leave,” Walz said. “With policies that strengthen families and improve retention, we're bolstering the economy and creating an environment for businesses to thrive.” 

If Minnesota is good enough to be one of America’s best states for business, it should be even better at making sure that economic success reaches every corner of the state. The path forward is not to pit workers against businesses. It is to build an economy where both can succeed — where entrepreneurs have the resources they need to grow, workers have the power they need to prosper and the public sector has the resources it needs to keep Minnesota moving. 

That is the Minnesota MAPE members are working to build. Read the full CNBC report here.