W.Va. growth to slow down, expert says

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR

The decline of a national index of economic activity means "it'slooking like 2001 is going to be a year of slow growth for the stateeconomy," a West Virginia University economist said today. GeorgeHammond, director of the West Virginia Economic Outlook Project atWVU's College of Business and Economics, said the index of economicactivity published by the National Association of PurchasingManagers "definitely suggests manufacturing activity will be slowerthan it was in 2000 and 1999. It also suggests activity nationallyis going to be slow if not outright contracting in the early monthsof 2001.

"What that means for West Virginia is, …