1133 ET - One takeaway from economists about Canada's jobs data for January is how the province of Ontario dragged down results. That's likely no surprise, as Ontario represents the heartland for the country's trade-exposed manufacturing sector. Employment in manufacturing fell sharply in January, and is down 2.7% from a year ago. Ontario's unemployment rate sits at 7.3%, well above the national 6.5% rate and the highest among Canada's bigger provinces. Excluding Ontario, Canada added over 40,000 jobs, the data indicate. Ontario also was the focal point for harsh winter weather in the month, which likely affected the data. (paul.vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 06, 2026 11:33 ET (16:33 GMT)

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