Looking at the full half of the glass.

• Author: Barkey, Patrick M.
• Position: Indiana Indicators

It is always important to recognize that we in Indiana are engaged in a never-ending competition with other states, and even other countries, for businesses, industries and jobs. With a little bit of polish, many of the unflattering references to our state made by others can be seen to be strengths.

We are a state of small towns, By population, we are the 14-largest in the nation, yet our largest metro area is eclipsed in size by 27 others. Trends in population tell us very loudly that people want to live and raise families in less chaotic places. And thanks to our lower cost of living, a computer programmer in Fort Wayne or Lafayette can enjoy a lifestyle that his or her colleague in Seattle or San Francisco could never hope to attain.

Having communities of a livable size doesn't, by itself, make people want to live in them. We've got plenty of work to do in improving our schools, our tax system, and our priorities in economic development. But neither should we lose sight of our strengths, or lose an opportunity to remind the world about them.

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Latest Previous Year Percent Period Period Ago Change Employment (000) U.S. Oct. 02 130,895.0 130,900.0 131,414.0 -0.4 Indiana Oct. 02 2,931.8 2,925.9 2,954.8...