The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports that the state unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in January-a record low. That assessment based on preliminary data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the IDES. The Illinois jobless rate for the month was lower than the national rate of 3.6%. It is the first time that has happened since November of 2010. The January 2020 unemployment rate was down almost 1 percentage point from January 2019. Individual unemployment rates for Lawrence and surrounding counties in southeastern Illinois for the month were not yet available from the IDES.