Statistics Canada says the Canadian economy posted a modest gain of 21,000 jobs in September.
In the federal agency's latest labour force survey released on Friday, the unemployment rate for September fell to 5.2 per cent as fewer people looked for work, down from 5.4 per cent the previous month.
The gain in employment was expected as job losses in the education sector during the summer were reversed with the reopening of schools.
The report says gains in education, health care and social assistance were offset by losses in several other sectors, including manufacturing and information, culture and recreation.
In St. Catharines-Niagara, 3,100 jobs were lost as the unemployment rate went from 5.8% to 6.1%
Wages grew by 5.2 per cent in September compared with a year ago, with the average hourly wage at $31.67.
The September gain in employment comes after three consecutive months of job losses in the Canadian economy.