Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 23, 1994                   TAG: 9401220196
SECTION: ECONOMY                    PAGE: EC-16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

SOUTH AMONG BEST PLACES TO FIND A JOB

Southern and Rocky Mountain states show the best prospects for job growth, while the Northeast and California are among the worst, according to a survey by Forbes magazine.

In its Jan. 31 issue, Forbes said the states with the best job outlook were Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

The worst were California, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Hawaii.

Forbes said it compiled the rankings by analyzing relative costs of doing business, including taxes, and energy and labor costs.

The magazine said the main reason for the discrepancy in states' job outlook is that California, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are among the costliest places to do business. "High taxes and niggling regulation are major reasons for the high cost," it said.