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Connecticut and Delaware Lead in Economic Development
States Rated by Business Vitality, Performance and Long‐term Capacity

January 18, 2007
Contact:
Jerome Uher or
Kristin Lawton
202.408.9788
PDF version

Washington, D.C. – The best economic climates in the United States can be found in Connecticut and Delaware, according to a comprehensive assessment of state economies released today. The two were the only states to earn straight “A” grades this year on the 2007 Development Report Card for the States ‐‐ which measures not only the strength of business development, but also the performance of their economies for its citizens and each state’s positioning for future economic growth.

The assessment, released yearly since 1987 by the nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), analyzes 67 different measures to provide a comprehensive overview of the economic picture in each state. The report categorizes the measures to rate the states on Business Vitality, Performance and Development Capacity.

The following ten states earned an “A” for Business Vitality. These states (listed alphabetically) lead the nation in business competitiveness and entrepreneurial energy as measured by new business and job creation, the strength of the traded sector, industrial diversity and manufacturing investment, among other measures: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Texas.

The following states earned an “A” for Performance. This category includes measures of employment, income and quality of life. These states (listed alphabetically) are the best in the nation for workers and families: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wisconsin.

The following states earned an “A” for Development Capacity. This category includes measures of the states’ infrastructure, financial resources, educational attainment and R&D investment. These states (listed alphabetically) are those that are best prepared for future growth: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

For more information, analysis and access to grades for each state for the Development Report Card for the States, visit www.cfed.org/go/drc.

“A strong economy is not measured only by good jobs and good businesses,” said CFED President Andrea Levere. “There must also be in place the necessary resources – financial, human, technological and infrastructural – that enable businesses, communities and individuals to compete and win over the long haul. Over the past 20 years, this Report Card has fully documented each state’s ability to compete.”

Now in its 20th edition, the Development Report Card for the States was created as an alternative to the limited number and scope of economic assessments available to policymakers and businesses. Not only is the DRC is recognized as the most comprehensive measurement of the health of each state’s economy, but it has helped spawn a wide variety of economic and business assessments conducted by other research organizations, private businesses and journalists.

CFED is a nonprofit organization that expands economic opportunity. We work to ensure that every person can participate in, contribute to, and benefit from the economy by bringing together community practice, public policy, and private markets. We identify promising ideas; test and refine them in communities to find out what works; craft policies and products to help good ideas reach scale; and foster new markets to achieve greater economic impact.

Established in 1979 as the Corporation for Enterprise Development, CFED works nationally and internationally through its offices in Washington, DC; Durham, North Carolina; and San Francisco, California.

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