The ReNew Jersey Business Summit & Expo in Atlantic City is an annual event that brings together business leaders from across the state to discuss — and improve — the state of the business community.
The annual ROI-NJ poll at the event — an unscientific effort, to be sure — aims to take the temperature of those at the event. This year‘s survey brought what many will feel is a surprising result.
When asked if New Jersey is a “business-friendly” state, on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 meaning the state was very business friendly, 54% rated the state as a “4” or a “5.”
Perhaps surprisingly, only 22% gave New Jersey a “1” or a “2.”
“There are a lot of things that I would change or improve, that’s for sure,” one respondent said, “but there is a lot here that makes it a great place to do business.”
Respondents were asked to answer five questions.
Here’s a look at the other questions and the results:
Business-friendly
Q: Is New Jersey business-friendly, with 5 being “very much so” and 1 being “not at all”?
1: 14%
2: 8%
3: 24%
4: 38%
5: 16%
Green economy
Q: How important is building the clean/green economy to the state, with 5 being “very important”?
1: 4%
2: 7%
3: 21%
4: 30%
5: 38%
Governor’s vision
Q: Did you agree with the vision Gov. Phil Murphy laid out during his budget address, with 5 being “totally agree” and 1 being “totally disagree”?
1: 11%
2: 6%
3: 62%
4: 15%
5: 6%
Note: More than half the respondents were not familiar with the address; these percentages are based on those who were familiar.
Looking ahead
Q: Former Gov. Chris Christie was criticized for working toward “his next job” during his second term. Is Murphy, who has been expanding his national profile, doing the same thing, yes or no?
Yes: 88%
No: 12 %
Q: If yes, is looking ahead negatively impacting his ability to serve as governor, yes or no?
Yes: 35%
No: 65%
The ReNew Jersey Business Summit & Expo, now in its second year, had more than 900 registrants. Murphy will deliver the keynote address later Tuesday afternoon.
