More people are filing for bankruptcy.
According to the U.S. Federal Bankruptcy Court, filings in the Rock River Valley were up 5.7 percent in February over a year ago.
A total of 352 residents and businesses in Boone, Winnebago, Ogle and Stephenson Counties filed last month.
The area's heavy manufacturing base is part of the problem. The region has lost over 11,000 manufacturing jobs in the past five years.
