Report: Columbus is strongest economy in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A new report says the economy in Columbus is the strongest in the state.

The report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shows that Columbus leads the state's metro areas in the index of leading economic indicators.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the number for Columbus was 102.1 in December. That's unchanged from November but up more than two points from the same point in 2011.

None of Ohio's seven other metro areas reached 100. Cincinnati was second with a score of 99.6. The state score was 92.4, while the U.S. average was 93.9.

The index is designed to anticipate changes in the local economy and employment.