THORNHILL–The federal finance minister says the upcoming budget will contain help for the unemployed, but ensuring that Canadians get access to credit remains the government's top priority.

Jim Flaherty says Canadians are in for a difficult year with continued jobs losses and the government will provide help with training and education for the unemployed.

That's after Statistics Canada reported that 34,400 jobs were lost in December and the jobless rate jumped three-tenths of a point to 6.6 per cent.

Flaherty says Canada continues to have one of strongest financial systems in the world and is encouraged that Canadians are "stepped up to plate" to help, from the big banks to ordinary citizens.