Education accounted for a majority of jobs cut by local governments in Illinois, according to estimates released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Iliinois local governments – which include counties, cities, townships, special districts and school districts – accounted for 495,768 full-time equivalent employees in 2011, down 2.5 percent from 508,493 in 2010. Part-time local government employees in Illinois totaled 176,653 in 2011, down from 178,120 in 2010.

Local government payrolls totaled $2.27 billion in 2011, down from $2.29 billion in 2010.