Terre Haute.

• Author: Rogers, Carol O.

The national economy is expected to grow at a rate of 3 percent in 2007. Terre Haute's economy will grow in terms of income, but the picture for job gains is mixed because of continued volatility in the manufacturing sector. Population growth in the area is declining, even with news of the expansion of significant companies in the area, including Pfizer's plans to add 450 jobs by 2009 and two automotive parts companies plans for an additional 200 jobs.

Population

The Terre Haute metropolitan area ranks tenth among Indiana's metro areas with a population of 168,000 estimated in 2005. The metro as a whole declined by 1.7 percent between 2000 and 2005, a loss counteracted in part by growth in Clay County, which saw its population grow by slightly more than 2 percent during the same period (see Figure 1).

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Employment

Terre Haute has made a number of significant job announcements during the past year regarding expansions in manufacturing and health services. Manufacturing makes up 20 percent of employment in the private sector but is matched now by the education and health services sectors. With the addition of new restaurants and at least one hotel in the area, the food and accommodation sector is supplying 12 percent of the metro areas jobs based on the latest job estimates (October) from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Those same estimates show a job...