Minnesota 9th Among Best Business States

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Forbes magazine's latest rankings of business-friendly states list Minnesota as ninth overall.

Forbes rates the states on 36 factors, including labor supply, economic climate and business costs. The magazine cites the state's strong economic climate and its quality of life in placing Minnesota in the top ten for a second straight year.

The state ranks second on overall quality of life measurements, with Forbes taking note of its good schools, low poverty rate and healthy population.

First on the list is Utah where the economy has expanded 2.4 percent annually in the last five years. North Dakota is second for what Forbes says is "the economic jackpot known as the Bakken formation."