The data are collected at the state level on a monthly basis and count employees in every skill class. CES data are available within a month of collection. According to CES data, Indiana also reflects the nation in terms of annual changes in employment. This was the height of the 1990s recession. Indiana s total nonfarm employment over time is shown in Figure 1, while Figure 2 shows a similar pattern for the United States.
Job creation is a common benchmark used in economic development.
Economic development officials are often judged by the number of jobs they helped create by providing financial support for location or expansion projects. Indeed, job creation is required for companies to obtain most state or local assistance for a project. However, it is not enough to only count the jobs created by new projects because at the same time some companies are expanding, others are reducing their workforce or closing down. The proper benchmark is net job creation, or the new jobs remaining after any job losses have been subtracted. Net job creation peaked for the state in 1994, with 85,800 jobs added during the year.