/ Source: The Associated Press
Canada's unemployment rate held steady at 8.5 percent in December as 2,600 jobs were lost in December.
Statistics Canada said Friday the job loss total was too small to affect the unemployment rate.
Economists had expected a gain of 20,000 in December after employers created 79,000 jobs in November.
Canada had added jobs in three of the four previous months.
(This version CORRECTS to show economists expected job growth sted loss)
