Kennedy-Wabash Heights-Jacksonville MSA

The Kennedy-Wabash Heights-Jacksonville MSA, sometimes referred to as the Kennedy Metroplex, is a metropolitan area located in southeast Illinois, bordering Indiana and Kentucky. The metropolitan area is the 20th largest in the country with a population of approximately (change) 2,733,081.

Economy
The economy of the Kennedy Metroplex is highly dependent on inner suburbs. Many inner suburbs include small local downtown areas which house many offices and businesses which provide jobs to residents and commuters.

The metroplex is a major manufacturing center, with over 41,000 factories. The area's complex network of railways allows industrial parks and shipping centers to develop easily in many areas. In 2000, approximately 26% of metropolitan citizens worked in the manufacturing industries.

The metro area's unemployment rate as of 2000 was 6.5%. However, due to complications in the Detroit automotive industry, workers in the Kennedy automotive industry were heavily affected. The unemployment rate in 2009 was 11.5%.