The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate over the month, fueled by employment gains and labor force decline.

Though some of Illinois’ larger municipalities such as Chicago and Evanston have been overly restrictive in regulating food trucks, the Carbondale City Council has debated loosening them for its city, soliciting mixed opinions.

Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.

The state also saw a drop in the unemployment rate, but it wasn’t because people found jobs.

Revisions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics flipped Decatur’s jobs growth from negative to positive over the year, though the growth was meager.

While Illinois outperformed the nation in terms of monthly employment growth for the first time since September 2017, Illinois payrolls have only increased half as fast as the rest of the nation in the past year.

Combined jobs growth was slightly positive across Illinois’ metro areas in January. But only four metro areas have recovered the jobs they lost during the Great Recession.

The cocktail of excise taxes heaped onto the sale of alcoholic beverages hits Illinois liquor stores near the Indiana border.

Despite healthy jobs growth nationally, Illinoisans are desperate for work.