The job market may have cooled a bit , but there are still far more job openings nationwide than there are people available to fill them. That means qualified workers are still a precious commodity. So, companies seeking to attract great employees like to set up shop in states that offer a great quality of life.
While some states are more than happy to oblige , these are not those states. They are America's worst states to live and work in. Each year, CNBC's America's Top States for Business study considers quality of life among ten categories of competitiveness used to rank the states .
Under this year's methodolog y, the Quality of Life category counts for 13% of a state's overall score. We score each state on multiple livability factors including crime rates, health care, air quality and child care. We also consider worker protections, and legal safeguards against discrimination of all kinds.
And, we look at personal freedom including reproductive rights. In these ten states, the welcome mat has more than a few holes in it. 10.
Arizona Members of Arizona for Abortion Access, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona State Constitution, hold a press conference and protest condemning Arizona House Republicans and the 1864 abortion ban during a recess from a legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives on April 17, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Rebecca Noble | Getty Images Because everyone has their own opinion about the weather, we don't inc.