Good news on the local job front.

The unemployment rate for st catharines Niagara fell last month from 8.2 percent in November to 7.8 percent.

That's in line with  the national jobless rate which stood at 7.1 percent in December down slightly from 7.2 percent in November.

The rate, provincially, remained unchanged at 7.9.

Statistics Canada reports 40 thousand jobs were added across the county in December.

That was far above estimates that only about five thousand jobs would be added.