Surprising growth in Elkhart, Kokomo.

• Position: Indiana - Brief Article - Illustration - Statistical Data Included

In the rankings of Indiana's 12 metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, it's surprising to see Elkhart and Kokomo leading the state in terms of employment growth.

They happen to be the most manufacturing-intensive cities in the state of Indiana, and, indeed, the entire nation. While it is the non-manufacturing sector that creates the majority of jobs in the state economy, both of these metro areas had at least 3.5 percent more jobs in March than existed 12 months earlier. There were 3,400 more manufacturing jobs in these two MSAs in March 2000 than one year earlier. During that same period, the entire state economy only created about 5,000 new manufacturing jobs.

Meanwhile, a loss in manufacturing jobs contributed to slower overall economic growth in the Fort Wayne and Gary-Hammond MSAs.

The state's largest economy, the Indianapolis MSA, continues to create more than the rest. More than 21,000 net new jobs were reported, with only 500 of that total representing factory hiring. That total growth represents about half of all jobs created statewide, despite the fact that Indianapolis accounts for less than a third of state employment.

Latest Previous Year Period Period Ago Employment (000) U.S. Mar. 00 130,715.0 130,299.0 127,813.0 Indiana Mar. 00 2,970.8 2,952.2 2,929.3 Manufacturing Employment (000) U.S. Mar. 00 18,359.0 18,364.0 18,503.0 Indiana Mar. 00 689.5 690.4 685.2 Non-manufacturing Employment (000) U.S. Mar. 00 112,356.0 111,935.0...