Pakistan, Feb. 6 -- Canada lost 24,800 jobs in January, surprising analysts who expected a small gain. Despite this, the unemployment rate fell to 6.5%, a 16-month low. Full-time employment increased by 44,900 jobs, while part-time positions dropped sharply by 69,700. Analysts say the decline in unemployment mainly reflects fewer people actively seeking work.

The manufacturing, educational services, and public administration sectors experienced the heaviest job losses, outweighing gains in information, business, agriculture, and utilities. Ontario, Canada's industrial heartland, saw most of the manufacturing cuts, affected by U.S. tariffs. Other regions managed to offset some losses, but overall employment still declined slightly in the ...