Unemployment fell in the Quad Cities in February by one full percentage point - from 6.3 per cent a year ago to 5.3 per cent last month.
Tom Austin from the Illinois Department of Employment Security says it's due to a combination of gains and losses.
"We did see some positive gains when we look at industries such as education and health services, professional and business services, and the government sector. So, yes, we had some declines in the manufacturing sector, but those were offset by gains in other industries."
The February unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent means about 10,000 people in this area were out of work and looking for jobs. And the last time the February rate was this low was in 2008 when it was 5.1 per cent.
Unemployment rates fell in most of Illinois last month except in Rockford - the rate increased 1 1/2 percentage points in February following a 3-point jump in January. Austin says that's due to temporary layoffs by a major manufacturer in the region.