Why the best states for business can be the worst for workers

Corporations aren’t afraid to pick up and move.

Many states offer companies attractive incentives such as lower taxes if they move their operations, but a superior business climate does not always equate to a superior work climate.

“Things that benefit employers in terms of their bottom line or their bottom line, in terms of economic expansion, can directly conflict with things that benefit actual employees, residents and workers,” said Niani Tolbert, founder and CEO of Hire Black Now. an organization that combines recruiting and talent development to improve the upward mobility of black women in the US workforce.

Many of the states with the most attractive business incentives have also been passing controversial social policies that some businesses and the general public have pushed back. These issues include LGBTQ restrictions, limit access to the votethe restrictions on abortion and the prevention of schools and employers carrying out training on diversity and inclusion.

Annual of the anti-poverty organization Oxfam America Index of the best states to work looks at which states have the best policies to protect workers.

Oxfam America ranked North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina as the worst states for workers in 2021.

“Every year, the worst states to work in are in the South, almost always. And in 2021, this was no different,” said Kaitlyn Henderson, senior researcher at Oxfam America.

A partisan divide has formed over labor policies. Democrats are more likely to pass the kind of policies that Oxfam America follows on its list of best states to work in, such as higher minimum wages, accommodations for pregnancy in the workplace, and policies that protect the right to unionize.

But the states with the best policies for workers, according to Oxfam America’s analysis, also tend to be the states with the highest cost of living.

Oxfam America ranked Oregon, New York, Massachusetts and California as some of the best states for workers’ rights, but CNBC’s 2022 Top States for Business Index found that these states also have some of the highest costs of living in the country .

“There are a number of things that workers look for when they think about considering different employment opportunities and that companies need to consider when recruiting talent for jobs,” said Rachel Lipson, director of the Workforce Project. of work from Harvard University. “We’re still in a very tight labor market where workers still have a lot of power and the ability to be demanding.”

Watch the video above to learn which states are the worst for workers and how businesses in those states can attract top talent.

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About the Author: Chaz Cutler

My name is Chasity. I love to follow the stock market and financial news!