The university in West Lafayette is the county's largest employer and an important factor in local economic stability. Several important themes emerge in this brief sketch of Lafayette's history. Transportation has always played an important role in the area's prosperity. The railroad and more recently the interstate highway have replaced the river and canal as arteries of commerce, but Lafayette's geographic location and transportation connections ensure its role as an important marketing and distribution center. The diversity of the industrial economy keeps Lafayette's unemployment rate below the state average even during recessionary times.
New industry finds the area attractive.
Employment in the high-tech industry and services sector gained in the late 1980s, offsetting losses in manufacturing and construction employment.