The Financial Post reports in its Saturday edition that a Bank of Canada interest rate increase this year looks less likely based on the latest jobs numbers, economists say. The Post's Gig Suhanic writes that the economy added 8,200 positions in December, beating estimates for a loss of 2,500 jobs, while the unemployment rate rose to 6.8 per cent from 6.5 per cent as more people looked for work, according to Statistics Canada. Estimates had called for the unemployment rate to rise to 6.7 per cent, but it now stands 0.1 per cent above where it ended in 2024. The jobs market significantly cooled down in December after adding an average of 60,000 positions per month from September to November. "Today's ho-hum report likely has a better grasp on reality," said BMO chief economist Douglas Porter, adding that the supersized gains during the previous three months left him "skeptical" with the fall in the unemployment rate to 6.5 per cent in November coming as a "shock." He said the December data settled those misgivings and the pace of job gains now strikes him as more "realistic." Still, Mr. Porter does not think these results will catch the Bank of Canada's attention, but they will tamp down talk of a rate hike this year.