By Joel Dresang of JSOnline.com’s Business Watch

Except for Des Moines, Iowa, the four-county Milwaukee, WI area added jobs at a faster pace than the largest cities in nearby states, according to federal data released this morning.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Milwaukee area’s 1.2% job growth from November 2006 to November 2007 was second only to metro Des Moines’ 2.5% among large metro areas in the region. Jobs in the Indianapolis area gained 1.1% in that period, followed by the Chicago area at 0.9%, the Twin Cities at 0.3%, metro Cleveland at 0.2% and the Detroit area, where the payroll count dropped by 1.7%.

Danville, Va., led the nation’s 369 metropolitan areas with a job growth rate of 7.4%.

To see the report, go to jobs.