Abstract
This study is about regional variation in per capita personal income and the contribution, enforcing or compensating, of the manufacturing sector. Per capita personal income, presently about the most satisfactory quantitative measure of economic well-being, has received considerable attention from state and regional economic development agencies in their efforts to more objectively define growth goals. The State of Mississippi has established 2000 as the target date to bring the state's per capita personal income up to the national average, which, for the year 2000, is projected to be $5,000. Other of the less industrialized states have similar plans which generally focus on attracting new manufacturing payrolls as a means for accomplishing their income equalization objectives. The strategy of concentrating on expansion of the manufacturing sector receives positive impetus from the decentralization efforts of considerable numbers of manufacturing enterprises, although total U.S. manufacturing employment is expected to grow at only moderate rates in the years ahead.