Alaska Beat is sorry to add to the pessimism many Alaskans already feel about the state's economic potential, but CNBC recently released the 2010 edition of its annual ranking of states based on several data categories that bode well for businesses. Alaska finished dead last. Again. Our state never does well for a variety of reasons, but compared to last year's rankings, Alaska lost ground in several categories, including education, business friendliness and access to capital. The news isn't all bad, though; the state gained in categories such as technology and innovation, workforce and quality of life. That last one, to be certain, is traditionally the state's strongest positive attribute in CNBC's rankings. To learn more, find the main page of the rankings, here, a column-sortable list of all the ranked states, here, and Alaska's own page, where you'll learn (or be reminded) that Wal-mart, Carrs/Safeway and Fred Meyer are the state's largest employers, here.