(Adds data, background)
OTTAWA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Canada lost 5,700 jobs in January
and the unemployment rate edged up to a two-year high of 7.2
percent as more people entered the work force, Statistics Canada
said on Friday.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a gain of 5,500
positions and for the unemployment rate to stay at 7.1 percent.
The last time the jobless rate hit 7.2 percent was in December
2013.
The data underline the economy's struggles to cope with the
effects of low oil prices. In the year to January, employment
increased by an anemic 125,500 jobs, or 0.7 percent.
The jobless rate in the energy-producing province of Alberta
rose to 7.4 percent, the highest since February 1996. January
marked the first month since December 1988 that the Alberta
unemployment rate had been higher than the national rate.
In January, the economy created 5,600 full-time jobs and
lost 11,300 part-time positions. The manufacturing sector lost
11,000 jobs while the natural resources sector posted a gain of
1,400.
The six-month moving average for employment growth was
8,900, down from 10,700 in November.
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Graphic - Canada jobs, unemployment http://link.reuters.com/fax39t
Graphic - Full-time vs. part-time http://link.reuters.com/pev29v
Graphic - Temporary vs. permanent http://link.reuters.com/xuf98v
Graphic - Canada economic dashboard http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/sc-canada/index.html
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