These are America’s 10 worst states to live and work in for 2023, and there’s a big surprise at the very bottom

With nearly twice as many job openings nationwide as there are workers available to fill them, companies are setting up shop where the workers are.

Each year, as part of our overall assessment of state business climates, CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business study considers how welcoming each state is to workers and their families.

Life, Health and Inclusion is one of the study’s ten categories of competitiveness. And this year, with the nationwide worker shortage so severe, the category is taking on increased importance in our methodology.

We consider multiple quality of life factors, including crime rates, environmental quality, and health care. We also look at the quality and availability of childcare, which is one of the most important factors in getting parents back into the workforce.

Casting the widest possible net for workers means not turning anyone away. So we consider inclusiveness in state laws by measuring protections against discrimination, as well as voting rights. And with surveys showing a substantial percentage of women considering abortion restrictions when making a choice of where to live in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights are part of this year’s equation as well.

As North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, told CNBC after being named the No. 1 State for 2023, he is worried about gains that southern states have made to become economic powerhouses in recent decades. “You still see people going to Florida and Texas, but you begin to see deterioration over time. Site selectors will tell you these issues matter when it comes time for businesses to make tough decisions.”

Some states are putting out the welcome mat to attract the biggest, happiest, and most diverse workforce — America’s Best States to Live and Work In. These are not those states. By the numbers, these are America’s worst states to live and work in for 2023.