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Alberta’s unemployment rate crept higher as the province lost nearly 11,000 jobs in October, including 3,600 in Calgary, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The unemployment rate rose to 6.6 per cent, from 6.5 in September.

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StatsCan said the job losses provincially were full-time — 11,600 fewer positions month-over-month — while part-time employment rose by 800 jobs.

On an annual basis, employment was up by 13,400 positions, but the gains were in part-time work, which saw a gain of 35,500 positions. The number of full-time jobs in Alberta fell 22,100 from October 2014.

The unemployment rate is 2.2 points higher than it was in October 2014, due largely to a 70,000-person increase in the size of Alberta’s labour force — people who are working or looking for work.

In the Calgary area, the unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 per cent from 6.8 per cent.

David Madani, economist with Capital Economics, said Alberta “is likely to see further job losses as oil producers are still in the process of cutting investment plans.”

Pam Sharpe, spokesperson for the Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour ministry in Alberta, said the government last month October received 10 group layoff notices, impacting 1,328 employees.