This article first appeared on the Boston Business Journal, a sister publication of BostInno.
It seems that every few months, Massachusetts is recognized for being an innovation leader.
On Thursday, Bloomberg said that the Bay State has the most innovative economy in the U.S. It's the second-straight year that Massachusetts was named the most innovative state.
The Bloomberg U.S. Innovation Index scored each of the 50 states on a 0-100 scale across six equally weighted metrics: R&D intensity; productivity; high-tech density; concentration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employment; science and engineering degree holders; and patent activity.
According to Bloomberg, California scored behind Massachusetts, "which gained ground by churning out more science and engineering graduates and producing jobs in those industries even though it had less technology company density than in 2015," according to the data compiled by Bloomberg.
Massachusetts, which boasts strong biotech, education and tech sectors, reported a 2.9 percent unemployment rate in November— one of the lowest rates in the country.
Mississippi placed last on the list.
Here are the top five most innovative states:
- Massachusetts
- California
- Washington
- New Jersey
- Maryland
