Statistics Canada says the economy lost over 24,000 jobs in July and the national unemployment rate rose to 5.7 per cent.
That's worse than expected.
Economists had predicted the economy would add 12,500 jobs and the jobless rate would remain at 5.5 percent.
The youth unemployment rate also climbed from 10.7 percent to 11.4 percent.
In Niagara, the rate is in line with the national average at 5.7 percent.
But on the flip side, Stats Can says last month's wage growth came in strong at 4.5 percent, its highest level in more than a decade.