The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.1 per cent in September after the Canadian economy added a better-than-expected 60-thousand jobs in September.

Statistics Canada says the gains were concentrated in full-time work — as roughly 100-thousand full-time jobs more than offset a drop in part-time work.

The unemployment rate for the Belleville-Quinte West Census Metropolitan area which includes Belleville, Quinte West, Deseronto-Tyendinaga and Stirling-Rawdon, decreased in September, falling to 6.6 per cent from 7.5 in August.

The provincial rate increased slightly from 7.7 per cent to 7.9.

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