Canada’s unemployment rate crept up to 6.5% in August as 16,000 jobs were lost, Statistics Canada said today.

The August unemployment rate was up slightly from the 6.4% seen in July.

Job losses in part-time positions exceeded gains in full-time employment, StatsCan said.

August marked the third consecutive month that the economy lost jobs. In June, the country shed about 4,600 jobs, followed by roughly 5,500 in July. That followed a jump of more than 96,000 in May.

Last month, the country lost jobs in manufacturing, education, and public administration. Only the professional, scientific and technical services sector posted large job gains.

Alberta, which has seen booming economic growth as a result of expansion in the oil patch, added 8,000 new jobs. However, the provincial unemployment rate increased last month to 4.2% from 3.6% in July as people moved to Alberta to hunt for work.

Average hourly wages increased 3.7% from August of last year, remaining above the rate of inflation, which most recently gained 2.4% year over year. Hourly earnings in red-hot Alberta were up 8.3% over the previous 12 months, owing to the demand for workers.