Tom Austin from the Illinois Department of Employment Security says we gained jobs in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. But lost jobs in construction, retail, and professional and business services.
And he's optimistic about the future.
"We're already seeing that when we look at leisure and hospitality that is expanding, and that industry's been continuing to grow since the pandemic - that's a positive sign. So as we move into the warmer season we're going to see that hopefully continue to grow as more people feel comfortable traveling."
Overall, the number of people employed in the Quad Cities increased by 1,000 since March of last year.
In western Illinois, the highest March unemployment rates were in Fulton County at 5.5 per cent, and in Stark County at 5.8 per cent. Warren County had the lowest at 3.7 per cent.