Once again, the number of individuals working in full-time jobs in the Yukon dipped during September, while part-time employment rose.

According to recently released unadjusted employment figures from the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, 14,100 Yukoners were employed full-time in September, a drop of 600 people when compared to August.

The stats also show that people working part-time rose by 200 when compared to the month prior, reaching 2,000 positions.

The number of part-time jobs in the territory hit a 68-month high in January, when 3,100 individuals were working in the positions. It was a number that had not been seen since April 2000.

Since January, there was a decreasing trend of part-time positions that continued until the spike in September.

But, the unemployment rate for September remained the same as August's at 4.7 per cent.

In September 2005, the Yukon's unemployment rate hit a historic low at 4.2 per cent.

The number then slowly rose over the winter months, reaching 5.7 per cent in March before decreasing throughout the spring and summer.

Though, the number is 0.5 per cent higher than the same period last year, there are 600 more individuals working full-time jobs in the territory than in September 2005.

There are also 400 more people in the labour force and 300 more people employed for a total of 16,400 working Yukoners.

Those numbers have raised the participation rate by 1.9 per cent to 78.6 per cent this September. The employment rate is 74.9 per cent.

Approximately 800 individuals weren't working in September, while 4,700 labelled themselves as not in the labour force, meaning they weren't seeking employment.

When looking at the yearly average to date, the Yukon's labour force has diminished in size compared to 2005, falling by 245 people or 1.5 per cent.

The average number of people employed in the territory has also decreased by 167 or 1.1 per cent.

From January to September 2005, approximately 15,689 people were employed in the Yukon. For the same period this year, the average is 15,522.

The unemployment average dropped slightly to 4.9 per cent so far this year. It is a 0.4 per cent difference compared to last year's average of 5.3 per cent for the first nine months of the year.

On a national level, Canada's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September was 6.4 per cent, down 0.3 per cent compared to 2005.

The bureau has been monitoring employment statistics since 1992.

Before September 2003, the Yukon's unemployment numbers never dipped below the 10 per cent unemployment mark.