The Canadian jobs market is frozen.

More than 43,000 Canadian jobs vanished in October, suggesting that after two consecutive months of gains, companies are waiting for more signs of a sustained recovery before they begin hiring again.

Canada's unemployment rate rose to 8.6 per cent, up from 8.4 per cent a month earlier, and a continued trend to self-employment shows the cold job market is forcing many to create their own work.

But behind the bleak headline number that was released by Statistics Canada Friday, there is a subtle shift in the wind.

The economy has now added full-time jobs for two months in a row as part-time work receded, suggesting there are at least some signs of optimism. Also, higher-paying jobs were created in October in areas such as construction, while positions were shed in the lower-paying retail sector.

“The details of the report were mostly weaker, with the only positive news that the entire drop was in part-time jobs, while full-time positions recorded a decent gain,” Benjamin Reitzes, an economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns, said Friday.