CNBC TO Reveal Its Third Annual List Of America's Top States For Business On Thursday, July 23rd

CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn Will Count Down America's Top States for Business Throughout CNBC's Business Day Programming

CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will reveal the results of its third annual list of America's Top States for Business, a CNBC exclusive study, on Thursday, July 23rd throughout the network's Business Day programming.

CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn will broadcast live from the top-ranked state and start counting down CNBC's 2008 list of America's Top States for Business beginning on "Squawk on the Street" (9AM-11AM ET) with the top state being revealed on "Street Signs" (2PM-3PM ET).

To determine the rankings for America's Top States for Business, each state was scored - using publicly available data - on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into ten broad categories.

So what makes a state great for business? The ten broad categories and the maximum possible points for each:

Cost of Doing Business (450 Points) - Cost is a major consideration when a company chooses a state. We looked at the tax burden, including individual income and property taxes, business taxes, even the gasoline tax. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also looked at the cost of wages and state workers' compensation insurance, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space (rental cost information furnished by CoStar Realty Information, Inc.).

Workforce (350 Points) - Many states point with great pride to the quality and availability of their workers, as well as government-sponsored programs to train them. We rated states based on the education level of their workforce, as well as the numbers of available workers. We also considered union membership. While organized labor contends that a union workforce is a quality workforce, that argument, more often than not, doesn't resonate with business. We also looked at the relative success of each state's worker training programs in placing their participants in jobs.

Quality of Life (350 Points) - The best places to do business are also the best places to live. We scored the states on several factors, including local attractions, the crime rate, and health care, as well as air and water quality.

Economy (314 Points) - A solid economy is good for business. So is a diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We looked at basic indicators of economic health and growth. We also gave credit to states based on the number of major corporations located there.

Transportation & Infrastructure (300 Points) - Access to transportation in all its modes is key to getting your products to market and your people on the move. We measured the vitality of each state's transportation system by the value of goods shipped by air, land and water. We looked at the availability of air travel in each state, and the quality of the roads.