The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - A majority of Indiana residents believe the state's time-zone split should be ended, but are divided over which zone that should be, a new statewide survey said.

The poll, sponsored by The Indianapolis Star and WTHR, found that 58 percent of Indiana residents thought the entire state should be on the same time, while 38 percent were satisfied with the current time divide.

The poll also found 48 percent preferring to have the entire state in the Central time zone, which Chicago follows, with 40 percent preferring Eastern, or New York time. Twelve percent in the poll were not sure.

The greatest support for Central time, 66 percent, was in northwestern Indiana, which already follows Central time. Only 20 percent of those respondents favored Eastern time.

The time-zone preference was about evenly split in the rest of the state except for southern Indiana, which showed a 48 percent to 42 percent preference for Central time over Eastern.

The poll, however, did not ask whether Indiana should follow nearly all other states in adopting daylight-saving time.

Currently, 77 of Indiana's 92 counties never reset their clocks, spending half the year in sync with New York City and the other half in step with Chicago. Counties in the state's northwest, southwest and southeast corners observe daylight-saving time.

Taft to emphasize employment in speech

COLUMBUS - Ways to create new jobs and attract new businesses to offset the state's manufacturing decline will be the focal points of Gov. Bob Taft's sixth State of the State address Wednesday.

Taft spokesman Orest Holubec identified the speech's dominant theme as, "Jobs, the No. 1 issue in the state right now."

In previous years, Taft used the speech to talk about sweeping new programs, major spending proposals and other projects possible because of the state's budget surpluses.

But this year, Taft is expected to deliver a matter-of-fact speech about rehabilitating the state's economy.

The state's unemployment rate reached 6 percent in December, up from 5.6 percent a year ago, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said on Friday. The department said 838,400 workers had manufacturing jobs in December, down 33,800 from a year ago.

"Manufacturing has been hit hard," Holubec said. "We have seen a national recovery, but we have yet to feel it in Ohio. There are things we can do to improve our jobs climate and make Ohio more attractive to companies looking to expand in the state or to locate here."