Numbers from the March WARN report show that employers in Illinois across various industries laid off 2,573 workers; 267 of the layoffs were in manufacturing.

There are 170,000 fewer people working in Illinois since before the Great Recession.

In the last decade, Illinois’ economy and the economies of neighboring states have gone in opposite directions, with more people now working in Wisconsin and Indiana combined.

The company’s announcement affects 800 hourly employees, though 1,200 workers will remain in Aurora. In January, Caterpillar announced plans to relocate its global headquarters to Chicago and out of its longtime hub in Peoria.

The small sheet metal fabricator will move from its current facility in Antioch, Ill., to an 8-acre location in Bristol, Wis.

In February 2017 Illinois surpassed its previous jobs peak from September 2000. However, long-term problems could potentially hamstring further jobs growth if left unaddressed.

Newly released Illinois jobs report points to anemic jobs growth and a contracting labor force.

February saw the worst WARN report in seven months, with nearly 250 of the jobs lost coming from the manufacturing sector.

Illinois had the highest black unemployment rate of any state at the end of 2016, holding that distinction for six consecutive quarters, according to analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. The Land of Lincoln also has the largest gap between its white and black unemployment rates.

Numbers from the January 2017 Illinois WARN report show most of the mass layoffs were in the service industry.