A year ago, Elkhart, Ind., was an economic basket case, losing more than a quarter of its jobs in three years. But a rebound in manufacturing has helped stabilize the area, known for its band-instrument and recreational-vehicle manufacturers. The August unemployment rate for the Elkhart-Goshen metro area declined from 16.9 percent in 2009 to 13.4 percent this year, the best improvement in the US.
鈥�Indiana is tied for No. 2 in the nation in private sector job growth, three-and-a-half times greater than the national average,鈥� said Mark Everson, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development鈥檚 Commissioner. 鈥淲e expect to see a drop in the unemployment rate in the coming months.鈥�
Indiana鈥檚 secret? Willard Witte, professor emeritus of economics at Indiana University in Bloomington, points to 鈥渂usiness friendly policies鈥� and the high concentration of workers in manufacturing, although improvement will be slow, he adds.
