The regional unemployment rate in the area that includes Bruce and Grey counties jumped to 6.3 per cent in January.
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board says over 4,900 full-time positions were lost last month in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula region, partially offset by gains of 1,100 part-time jobs.
The construction (-2,900), manufacturing (-2,400) and public administration (-700) sectors led the job losses.
The transportation/warehousing (+600) and information, culture and recreation (+600) industries had modest gains.
The Ontario unemployment rate in January jumped back above 10 per cent, according to Statistics Canada data, as renewed lockdown measures limited several areas of the economy.
Nationally, the jobless rate increased to 9.4 per cent — the highest its been since August.