Massachusetts just pulled off a serious jump in the national business league tables, climbing about 23 spots in CNBC's state rankings over the past two years and snagging the top score in the country for education. State officials say that glow-up is not just about bragging rights, but reflects real gains in jobs and wages after a choppy stretch for the broader economy.
CNBC's annual "America's Top States for Business" study, which scores every state on 138 metrics across 10 categories, now has the Bay State leading the nation in education and topping New England overall, as reported by Boston 25 News. Those higher marks reflect better showings on workforce strength and economic performance, two areas that employers watch closely when deciding where to expand or relocate.
Jobs And Earnings Back The Climb
The rankings are not just a feel-good headline. State labor data back up the story on the ground. In a press release from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, officials say Massachusetts has added more than 17,600 payroll jobs since September, including 14,100 private-sector positions, while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.5% in May.
Federal figures tell a similar tale. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that Massachusetts logged one of the largest percent increases in earnings in 2025, at about 5.9%. That kind of paycheck growth helps explain why the state scored better in CNBC's economy and workforce categories.
What Officials Say
"Massachusetts continues to be a great place to live and do business with the best education system in the country, but we know that there is more work to do," Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement to Boston 25 News. She said her administration will keep zeroing in on lowering housing and health care costs, creating good jobs and growing the state's innovation economy.
There is a catch. CNBC builds its scorecard in part on the cost of doing business and on infrastructure, both traditional weak spots for high-cost Northeastern states. That means hanging on to, or improving, the new ranking will likely require sustained work on affordability, transportation and talent pipelines. Economic development officials say the higher placement is already a useful calling card for recruiting companies, but long-term competitiveness will depend on turning the good press into lower costs and deeper pools of skilled workers.
Readers who want to dig into the underlying numbers can go straight to the primary sources. The latest job estimates and unemployment figures are available from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, and the detailed state GDP and earnings tables are in the Bureau of Economic Analysis release.
