The unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties jumped in January.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says the jobless rate in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region hit 4.9 per cent last month, a sizeable increase from December’s number of four per cent.
More than 1,600 full-time positions were lost in the region, offset by gains of more than 1,800 new part-time jobs.
The higher unemployment rate came as a result of an increase in the size of the region’s labour force by more than 2,000 people, the planning board says. The participation rate was up as well to 63.5 per cent. The labour force participation rate measures everyone of working age — 15 or older — who has a job or is looking for one, against the total eligible working age population.
The most job gains last month came in the wholesale and retail trade (+1,200), accommodation and food services (+800), education services (+500) and manufacturing (+500) sectors.
There were employment losses in the professional, scientific and technical services (-1,500), agriculture (-900), utilities (-500) and construction (-400) industries.
Ontario’s unemployment rate declined to 7.3 per cent last month. Nationally, it ticked down to 6.5 per cent — even as the Canadian economy shed more than 25,000 jobs.