Tom Austin, from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, says the Quad Cities gained jobs in government, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade. We also gained some in manufacturing, following a temporary layoff at this time a year ago.
"We measure net change so we can't break out what took place regarding the temporary layoff, but overall there were some gains when we look at that sector - part of those are going to be due to that temporary layoff."
Overall, the Quad Cities added 6,400 jobs from December to December. But during the past year, this area lost jobs in education and health services, construction, and professional-business services.
Unemployment rates ranged from 3.5 per cent in Henderson County to 5 per cent in Knox County and the city of Galesburg.
