A big jump in employment in the North Bay area last month, compared to January 2016.

Stats Canada says the employment rate was 53.9 per cent last month.

That’s up 4.4 per cent from the same month last year.

There were 2,700 more people in the Labour Force this January too.

Unemployment, meantime, was virtually unchanged at 6 per cent.

The figures include the City of North Bay, Bonfield, Callander and East Ferris.