Indiana, U.S. on separate tracks.

• Position: Manufacturing jobs - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

When it comes to manufacturing employment, Indiana and the U.S. have been on separate tracks for more than two decades. The 17.9 million people with manufacturing jobs nationwide in May 2000 were about 3.3 million--or 15.5 percent-- fewer than existed in June 1979.

Indiana's decline over that same period was much less severe. As of June 2000, the state economy had only 55,000 fewer factory jobs than the heady days of 1979, a 7.3 percent difference.

The relative vitality of the motor-vehicle industry in Indiana is even more dramatic. Thanks to a trend of reconcentration of vehicle assembly in the Midwest, central Indiana employment in vehicle and parts assembly rose by an average of 8.5 percent per year in the decade of the 1990s.

What will the future bring? Burea of Labor Statistics projections are quite pessimistic about some of the industries with a major presence in Indiana, including motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals and steel.

Indiana industries have outperformed these kind of predictions in the past, a tribute to investments by manufacturers and the dedication of their workers. But it is also an ominous warning about the size of the challenges ahead.

Latest Previous Period Period Employment (000) U.S. May 01 132,453.0 132,472.0 Indiana May 01 3,024.8 3,001.4 Manufacturing Employment (000) U.S. May 01 17,879.0 18,003.0 Indiana May 01 668.6 666.2 Non-manufacturing Employment (000) U.S. May 01 114,574.0 114,469.0 Indiana May 01 2,356.2 2,335.2 Unemployment Rates (Percent) U.S. May 01 4.4 4.5...