OTTAWA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Canada's unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent in August, the highest since May 2016, said Statistics Canada on Friday.

Since January, the country's unemployment rate has increased 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, the rate averaged 6 percent from 2017 to 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, said the national statistical agency.

According to the agency, there were 1.6 million unemployed people in August, with a 2.2-percent increase of 34,000 from July.

The agency added that across Canada's 20 largest census metropolitan areas, the highest unemployment rates in August were in Southern Ontario regions, with Windsor leading at 11.1 percent, followed by Oshawa at 9 percent and Toronto with 8.9 percent.

Since the beginning of the year, these regions have faced an uncertain economic climate, brought on by the threat or imposition of U.S. tariffs, including on motor vehicle and parts exports, said Statistics Canada. ■