By Alex Kuffner
Providence, R.I. -- Rhode Island has moved up one place to 49th on CNBC's annual ranking of states' business climates.
Both last year and the year before, the Ocean State ranked last in the cable TV business-news network's annual survey. This year, Hawaii took home that dubious distinction.
CNBC ranks states in 10 categories. Rhode Island saw significant improvement in the "Cost of Doing Business" category, moving up to 34th from 45th, and improvements in the "Workforce" and "Quality of Life" categories, but the state fell in the "Technology and Innovation" and "Access to Capital" categories.
South Dakota came in No. 1 in "America's Top States for Business 2013," followed by Texas, North Dakota, Nebraska and Utah.