Unemployment levels in Alberta edged upward in September as the province saw a small increase in total jobs but a significant loss of full-time jobs.

The number of people looking for work also increased, pushing the unemployment rate up by half a percentage point to 6.5 per cent.

There were 35,800 more part-time jobs in September compared to August, while the number of full-time jobs in the province fell by 23,500, according to Statistics Canada.

The country saw part-time employment increase nationwide by 74,000 jobs in September, offset by a decline of 62,000 full-time positions, pushing the national rate up by a 10th of a percentage point to 7.1 per cent.