Unemployment rates across the greater region all climbed higher last month, as did the national and provincial rates.
Canada’s economy added 8,200 jobs last month with gains concentrated in full-time work.
But Statistics Canada says a boost in the number of people looking for work in December drove the unemployment rate to rise three ticks to 6.8 per cent at the end of the year.
The unemployment rate for the Belleville-Quinte West Census Metropolitan area which includes Belleville, Quinte West, Deseronto-Tyendinaga and Stirling-Rawdon climbed from 8.8 per cent in November to 10.6 December.
The rise was less pronounced in the Kingston and Peterborough areas with Kingston’s number rising from 5.6 to 6.2 per cent.
Peterborough’s rate rose six-tenths to 6.6 per cent.
Ontario’s unemployment rate went from 7.3 per cent in November to 7.9 per cent last month.
