Statistics Canada has released numbers from its latest Labour Force Survey, and the country lost jobs. 

The numbers show that Canada lost over 71,000 jobs in November. As a result, the national unemployment rate took a substantial jump, increasing from 5.5 percent to 5.9 percent. This is the highest it has been in 2019, and it is the biggest monthly job loss in several years.

Regionally, job growth did the opposite in the Swift Current-Moose Jaw area. The area saw employment increase significantly by over 2,500 jobs or 4.9 per cent compared to last year. Despite the region seeing increase job growth, the unemployment rate did increase by less than one per cent. The unemployment rate increased from 3.6 per cent in November of 2018 to 4.5 per cent last month.

The region saw the rates of participation and employment both increased significantly. Compared to last year over 1,600 fewer people are working in natural resources (forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas), however more people are employers in many service industries, an increase of close to 4,000. 

Provincially the unemployment rate took a significant jump as well, moving from 5.1 percent to 5.8 percent. However, full-time employment numbers held steady. The increase came primarily from an increase in people in the labour force, as more people started looking for work.

It is the third-lowest unemployment rate in the country.