More people than ever are working in Illinois.

The state broke the 6 million employment mark as unemployment dropped to its lowest level in the state over the past quarter-century, at 4.3 percent.

Two Southern Illinois counties -- Alexander and Pulaski -- dropped to five-year lows in unemployment, at 6.7 and 7.3 percent respectively. Ditto, Randolph County, which has slowly been rebuilding its employment numbers over the past three years.

"We were looking at 13 percent unemployment in the mid-1990s," said Ed Crow of the Randolph County Economic Development group. "Today, we're at 4.6 unemployment." A number of smaller metal-related companies have emerged.

"We have several small companies ranging between 50 and 100 employment," said Crow. "Put them together and you have some pretty good employment numbers."

These numbers go along with some prison employment to help offset the loss of several thousand coal mining jobs over the past two decades.

Prisons in the immediate Southern Illinois area provide more than 3,000 jobs, headed by the 1,000 jobs at Menard Prison and Psych unit at Chester. More than 800 prison employees work in Johnson County at the Vienna (450) and Shawnee (425) correctional facilities. About 450 people work at the Pinckneyville Prison, and 375 people at the Tamms Correctional facility. Another 350 people work at the Marion Federal Prison.

Menard is fourth on the list of largest employers in Southern Illinois, which was compiled recently. Assisting in compiling the numbers were the Illinois Department of Employment Security office at Marion and regional planning and development commissions throughout the area.

The Southern Illinois employer list, which includes the region's largest employers from about Mount Vernon south, is headed by an educational facility -- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale at 6,800.

One of Southern Illinois' largest employers -- second on the list -- is also mentioned on the Southeast Missourian's "Top 60." Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., headquartered at Chester, is third on the Southern Illinois list with more than 2,400 employees -- about 1,000 in Missouri where the company has manufacturing facilities at Perryville and McBride, manufacturing packaged cake mixes, stuffing mixes, hot cocoa drink mix and popcorn.

Third on the list is General Tire Co. of Mount Vernon, with almost 2,400 employees. Menard Correctional Center and Psych Unit at Chester, with 1,000 employees, is fourth. Three employers are deadlocked for the No. 5 position -- Maytag Corp. at Herrin, Carbondale Memorial Hospital and Good Samaritan Health Center at Mount Vernon, each with about 900 employees.

Also among the top 10 are Southern Illinois Riverboat Cruises (Players International), Metropolis, 800; Bombardier Boats, Benton, 770; and Choate Mental Health Center at Anna, 640.

Top employers

1. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, at 6,800.

2. Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., at Chester, 2,400.

3. General Tire Co., Mount Vernon, between 2,000 to 2,400.

4. Menard Correctional Center and Psych Unit, Chester, 1,000.

5. Memorial Hospital at Carbondale, 900.

6. Maytag Corp., Herrin, 900.

7. Good Samaritan Health Center, Mount Vernon, 900

8. Southern Illinois Riverboat Cruises (Players International), Metropolis, 800.

9. Bombardier Boat, Benton, 770.

10. Choate Mental Health Center, Anna, 640.

11. Veterans Administration Hospital, Marion, 625.

12. American Coal in Saline County, 600.

13, Illinois Industrial Maintenance, Mount Vernon, 600.

14. UNI Distribution, Pinckneyville, 590.

15. Spartan Light Metal Products, Sparta, 575.

16. John A. Logan College, 575.

17. ADL Construction, Olmsted Dam, 500.

18. Pepsi Cola plant, Marion, 500.

19. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Marion, 500.

20. Primex Technology, Marion, 500.

Others: Vienna Corrections facility, 450; Pinckneyville Prison, 450; Shawnee Corrections facility at Vienna, 425; Apogee Coal Co., Pinckneyville, 400; GTE North, Marion, 400; Tamms Correctional Center, Tamms, 380; Allied-Signal, Metropolis, 350; Marion Federal Prison, 350; Penn Aluminum, Murphysboro, 340; Consolidated Coal, Cutler, 300.