Unemployment numbers in Illinois metropolitan areas fell in September according to a report from the state’s department of employment security.

Unemployment fell in every metro area in the state for the first time since 2007. Greg Rivara is the spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security. “Certainly each individual will decide when recovery is going to actually be felt in their household. But when we look at the numbers, the numbers show us that were better off than we were one year ago, we’re better off than we were two years ago,” Rivara said.

The metro areas with the largest declines in unemployment include Peoria, Decatur and Metro East.