Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake is seeing an increase in jobs for the first time in six months.

That’s according to Statistics Canada’s monthly report released on Friday which notes the region added 1,300 jobs in July.

The construction sector and accommodation and food services sector each added 600 spots.

Educational services lost around 300 positions, the biggest hit any sector took month over month.

Despite the increase in jobs, the unemployment rate rose from 11.6 per cent to 12 per cent.

The rate has nearly doubled since March when the measures against the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced. At that time it was at six per cent.

The provincial and federal unemployment rates both dropped, currently at 12.8 per cent and 10.9 per cent respectively.