Statistics Canada says London’s unemployment rate jumped to 7.3 per cent last month.
In August, the jobless rate for the city was 6.6 per cent, which means a jump of 0.7 per cent in September.
But economist Mike Moffatt says, at the city level, the numbers are measured in a three-month cycle, so a sudden jump isn't uncommon.
"Three months ago we had an unusually good job report. We added 4,700 jobs. We thought, at the time, 'What happened? Why are we doing so well?' And I thought back then it might be a statistical fluke, and we see that when there is a good job cycle three months ago - three months later the job cycle tends to be a little weak, so it evens out."
He added that London's job market is expected to do well in the coming months, due to the low dollar and a strong U.S. economy.
On a national level, the economy added 12,000 jobs in September, but the unemployment rate climbed by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.1 per cent as more people entered the labour force.
The increase in the overall number of jobs was due to a rise in part-time employment, offset by a drop in full-time jobs.
The number of part-time jobs increased by 74,000 in September, but full-time employment fell by 62,000.
Regionally, British Columbia and Alberta both posted gains of 12,000 jobs, while Manitoba increased by 4,000.
However, Ontario saw a drop of 34,000 jobs in September as losses in full-time employment were partly offset by gains in part-time work. Quebec added 11,000 jobs.
The September jobs report was the last major piece of economic data before the federal election on Oct. 19.
With files from The Canadian Press
