By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

The state’s unemployment rate falls below 6 percent for the first time since 2008.

Despite the rate falling to 5.9 percent, the state lost 7,500 jobs in the same month. Evelina Loescher, labor market information director for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, says the labor force has been shrinking for almost all of 2015.

Illinois remains above the national unemployment rate of 5.3 percent.

In other state news, powdered caffeine and alcohol will be harder to obtain under a pair of new laws.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law a bill sponsored by State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood), banning the sale of powdered caffeine to people under eighteen. She says the bill was inspired by news of a young athlete’s death in Ohio.

Another bill the governor signed outlaws powdered alcohol for everybody. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pursuing a federal ban.