Best States for Workers in America 2026
· news
The Best States for Workers to Get Educated, Trained, and Find a Job in America in 2026
The annual ranking of the best states for business has returned, revealing what makes talent tick in 2026. While cost, infrastructure, and tax incentives remain essential ingredients, human capital is now the main course.
Larry Gigerich, executive managing director of Ginovus and chairman of the Site Selectors Guild, emphasizes that talent is always the top consideration in site selection. Despite progress, America still struggles with a persistent skills gap. Worker shortages may have eased, but AI-facilitated productivity gains are merely delaying the inevitable: a workforce increasingly out of sync with employer needs.
States are scrambling to plug this hole. Virginia’s Talent Accelerator Program has provided job-specific training for over 22,000 workers since its inception in 2019. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has taken this momentum further with InternshipsVA, offering paid internships as a stepping stone to employment. Meanwhile, Colorado boasts the nation’s most educated workforce, but only 57.7% of degrees and credentials awarded in the state are “credentials of value” – fields that produce at least 15% higher median earnings than those of a typical high school graduate.
Some states excel in attracting workers with existing credentials, while others focus on future-proofing their workforces. Virginia and Colorado earn B- grades for their workforce efforts, largely based on existing credentials rather than future-proofing. Georgia has made significant strides in attracting college-educated workers – nearly 98,000 adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher moved to the state in 2024 alone.
The Role of Right-to-Work Laws
Right-to-work states like Georgia and South Carolina occupy top spots on Lightcast’s Talent Attraction Scorecard. However, Tennessee – also a right-to-work state – lags behind in terms of overall talent attraction, despite ranking No. 8 for net migration of college-educated workers.
One might argue that the presence or absence of right-to-work laws is merely one factor among many when it comes to talent attraction. States like Colorado and Virginia demonstrate that other factors – such as education pipelines and retraining initiatives – can be just as crucial in securing top talent.
The Need for a Comprehensive Approach
America’s economic development landscape has always been shaped by the interplay between business, politics, and human capital. As we move forward into 2026, states must adopt a more comprehensive approach to workforce development. Focusing solely on cost savings or infrastructure improvements is no longer sufficient; instead, they need to prioritize education, retraining, and innovation.
The talent tango will continue to dance in 2026, with some states executing elegant moves while others stumble over their own feet. As America’s economy continues to evolve, policymakers must learn from these rankings and adapt accordingly – or risk being left behind on the dance floor.
Reader Views
- ADAnalyst D. Park · policy analyst
While some states are indeed innovating in workforce development and attracting skilled workers, we shouldn't overlook the role of right-to-work laws in perpetuating the skills gap. By limiting collective bargaining power and depressing union membership rates, these laws can actually exacerbate wage stagnation and underinvestment in employee training – precisely what we need to address the looming talent shortage. States prioritizing workforce development should also examine how their labor policies are working with or against them.
- CSCorrespondent S. Tan · field correspondent
While the rankings highlight notable initiatives in states like Virginia and Colorado, they gloss over the underlying issue: right-to-work laws have become a magnet for low-skilled workers willing to accept lower wages. This inflates metrics for attracting existing credentials without addressing the crux of the problem – creating a pipeline for skilled professionals who can drive economic growth. Without examining this dynamic, policymakers risk perpetuating a short-term fix that doesn't address America's chronic skills gap.
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
While states like Virginia and Colorado are lauded for their workforce development initiatives, it's striking that neither is adequately addressing the skills mismatch that threatens to upend entire industries. Meanwhile, Georgia's surge in attracting college-educated workers raises questions about whether it's simply importing talent from elsewhere rather than investing in homegrown innovation. Without a more nuanced understanding of how these states are truly future-proofing their workforces, we risk perpetuating a short-term solution that won't be sustainable in the long term.