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The Canadian economy added 8,200 jobs in December despite the unemployment rate jumping to 6.8 per cent to end the year as more people looked for work.
Full-time employment rose by 50,200 in December, while part-time employment fell by 42,000.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a net loss of 5,000 positions and the jobless rate to edge up to 6.6 per cent.
The December results come after three months of outsized gains in employment. The economy had added a total of 181,000 new jobs from September through November, in contrast to almost no change in the first eight months of 2025, when U.S. tariffs and trade uncertainty choked hiring.
Employment in health care and social assistance in December increased by 20,800 while the professional, scientific and technical services sector posted a drop of 18,100 positions, the first decrease since August.
Employment rose for those aged 55 and older, but the job market remained difficult for young Canadians, as unemployment for those aged 15 to 24 fell by one per cent.
The average hourly wage of permanent employees — a gauge closely tracked by the Bank of Canada to ascertain inflationary trends — rose by 3.7 per cent, down from 4.0 per cent in November.
The Bank held its key policy rate steady at 2.25 per cent on Dec. 10 and said this was about the right level to keep inflation close to the two per cent target. Money markets expect rates to stay on hold for the rest of the year.