Massachusetts showing signs of recovery

The economy of Massachusett is showing some signs that it is coming out of recession. David over at Blue Mass Group has this post about the improving job market and a recovery in state revenue. The Commonwealth is outpacing the rest of the country on the road to recovery. I know it doesn't feel like that to most people but this is the worst economic downturn in decades.
One reason for that recovery may be that Massachusetts has a skilled and educated work force and a good quality of life for citizens here in the Bay State. CNBC ranked our state as 8th in the nation a place to do business. One statistic that caught my attention ...

... was that our workforce produces a higher per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than the other seven states ranked above us. CNBC didn't rank the states on that basis but only New York workers produced more value per capita.
Looking at the criteria for workforce, it seems to me that states who have a more unionized workforce were not given high marks. I think that is not correct and may have worked against Massachusetts' ranking.
The worst place to do business according to CNBC, Alaska, don't cha know!