The job market posting one of its steepest one month drops in nine years.
Stats Can says the number was dragged down by the loss of 137,000 part time jobs.
That is the largest one month drop in the part time category since the agency started collecting data in 1976.
The drop pushed the national unemployment rate up to 5.9 percent last month compared to 5.8 percent the month before.
The drop was offset by the creation of 49,000 full time positions.
The Ontario jobless rate fell slightly from 5.6 to 5.5 percent.
Niagara posting a second monthly decline, with the rate falling from 6.7 percent in December to 5.9 percent last month.
Every Ontario city included in the jobs report posted either a decline or no significant change in their numbers despite the last month's minimum wage increase to $14/hour.