ILLINOIS UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS

CHICAGO -- Illinois' unemployment rate dropped last month to the lowest it has been since October 1974, the state Department of Employment Security said Tuesday.

The agency said 252,439 people were jobless in January, out of a labor force of about 6.3 million. That translates to a state unemployment rate of 4 percent. Nationally, the rate is 4.3 percent.

The number of people with jobs climbed by more than 47,591 from December to January, marking the first time that figure has topped 6 million.

"Employers continued to expand their payrolls, which rose 2 percent from a year ago," said IDES Director Linda Renee Baker.

The construction industry grew the most, up 6.3 percent from January 1998. Construction saw its payroll add more than 12,000 new jobs. The services sector followed with a boost of 3.8 percent.

Two business sectors saw their workforce decline over levels a year ago -- manufacturing and mining. Manufacturing lost more than 6,000 jobs, while mining lost 700.