The unemployment rate rose to 6.8 per cent nationally in December, not because of fewer jobs, but because more people were looking for work.

Statistics Canada says there were more people working in health care and social assistance, but fewer in accommodations and food service.

The rate of people seeking work in Newfoundland and Labrador in December rose to 10.7 per cent from 10.4 in November.

Quebec had the lowest rate of any province – 5.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the most common types of digital platform employment that Canadians performed last year remained the delivery of food or other goods (272,000 people), personal transport services (184,000) and selling goods online with the specific purpose of earning income (92,000 people).