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Labour Force Survey: following two months of increases, #employment fell by 88,000 in January. Part-time employment declined (-137,000), while full-time employment was up (+49,000). https://t.co/CvQtcKP2Wt pic.twitter.com/VCJUAWNeYO — Statistics Canada (@StatCan_eng) February 9, 2018

It gained approximately 8,500 full-time positions but lost roughly 59,300 part-time gigs, according to data provided by the agency, which noted the figures are rounded.

That means there was 3.4 per cent or 46,100 fewer part-time posts in January 2018 than the same time the previous year.

Some economists said it’s possible Ontario’s minimum wage increase played a role in those declines, but noted it’s important not to read too much into one month of data.

The province hiked minimum wage by $2.40 per hour to $14 per hour at the beginning of the year, a move some economists warned could result in mass job losses as employers look to reduce costs.

Overall, economists are divided on how minimum wage increases play out. Some research has suggested a reduction in hours or jobs follow mandated wage bumps, while other studies suggest no long-term connection between wage increases and dips in employment rates.

The 59,000 figure is a “whopping” one, said Matthieu Arseneau, senior economist at National Bank Financial Markets, in a note.

It “may be a sign of adjustments made by corporations coping with a minimum wage surge,” he said, noting young people ages 15 to 24 lost 24,000 part-time positions.

However, economists also pointed to possible connections between Ontario’s minimum wage and Canada’s stronger average wage growth of 3.3% in January. It’s the highest year-over-year increase since July 2015 when it rose 3.32%. The same increase — 3.31% — happened in March 2016 and November 2015.