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Forbes: Indiana a top-10 state for business for the first time

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana ranks eighth on a new list of best states for business.

The Forbes ranking published Wednesday puts Utah, North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Texas and Virginia ahead of the Hoosier state. This is the first time Indiana has cracked the top 10 on the annual list.

“The state’s economy has fared better than most Rust Belt neighbors because Indiana’s significant manufacturing base is dependent upon a highly skilled labor force,” Forbes said.

The business magazine says it analyzed 40 data points across six main areas — business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life — to tally up the rankings.

While eighth overall, Indiana came in at No. 2 for regulatory environment and No. 6 in the quality of life category.

South Dakota and Washington round out the top 10 after Indiana.

Click here for the full list.