08:43 AM EST, 02/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Canada's province of Quebec created 15,700 net jobs in January, noted Desjardins Economic Studies (DES).

That's the sixth straight month of positive growth, with more than 100,000 jobs added over the entire period.

The unemployment rate fell to 5.4%, the lowest it's been since May 2024.

Private-sector employment increased (+12,500) for the sixth month in a row. Yet full-time employment clouded the overall picture with a loss of 19,300 jobs, said DES.

The best-performing sectors in January included accommodation and food services, manufacturing and construction. Manufacturing posted its strongest month-on-month growth since 2021.

This is well-timed, given the uncertainty facing the manufacturing sector from United States tariffs, it pointed out.

In addition, the Quebec regions that posted the lowest unemployment are manufacturing strongholds: Chaudiere-Appalaches, Abitibi-Temiscamingue and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Unemployment for all three regions came in at under 4%.