The unemployment rate rose to 7.1 per cent and the Canadian economy lost 66,000 jobs in the month of August, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The losses mostly affected workers between 25 to 54 years old, StatsCan said, while there was little change in youth employment.
The figures are more dire than some had predicted — a Reuters poll of economists ahead of the release predicted a gain of 10,000 jobs and for the unemployment rate to rise to seven per cent.
In July, the economy lost 41,000 jobs and unemployment remained steady at 6.9 per cent.
More to come