The Evansville economy continues to exhibit positive year-over-year growth. In 2006, personal income is estimated to increase by 5.75 percent compared to an average annual growth rate of 4.25 percent between 2001 and 2004 (see Figure 1). Economic performance in 2006 was driven by job creation in professional and business services, as well as in the leisure and hospitality sector. The manufacturing sector continues to be important to metro area household incomes and consumer spending activity—even as the economy adjusts to an ongoing diversification away from dependence on the manufacturing industry (see Figure 2).