Unemployment rates were down and jobs were up in most Illinois counties including Lawrence in the month of March. That according to figures recently released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The jobless rate in Lawrence County in March was at 5.6% down from the 5.8% figure in February and well below the 7% figure from March 2021 rate of 7%. The IDES says that jobless rates in Crawford, Richland, Wabash and Edwards Counties also dropped from February to March. The drops indicate continued job growth across the region and the state of Illinois.