The jobless rate in the Kootenays rose sharply last month compared to the same period of last year.
Statistics Canada says unemployment stood at 8.8 per cent which is up from 7.2 per cent in December 2015.
About 70,000 people were working and another 6,800 were job hunting.
Nationally unemployment stood at 6.9 per cent and in BC it was six per cent.
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