The Trudeau government goes into Monday’s election with momentum behind the prospects for economic growth and with the financial markets in a steady state. As the Bank of Canada noted in its Sept. 8 assessment, “Financial conditions remain highly accommodative.” But will the unintended consequences of ... READ MORE >
Canada’s economic miracle: How Vancouver and Toronto have defied the pandemic and trade wars
As the coronavirus has upended the daily lives of Canadians, a certain accepted wisdom has emerged about where and how people live. The pandemic, the thinking goes, has caused a dramatic shift in population patterns: namely, a depopulation of major urban areas in favour of suburban, exurban and rural ... READ MORE >
Inflation-adjusted interest rates and investment in the future of Canada’s economy
A confluence of events and policy shifts has coalesced into a unique opportunity for the Canadian government and firms to make long-term strategic investments. The arrival of inflation-adjusted negative interest rates presents a rare chance for Canadian businesses to invest in their firms and ... READ MORE >
Second wave of the pandemic devastates the Canadian labor market
The surge in coronavirus infections in Canada this winter has taken a heavy toll on the economy, which has only added to the urgency for a vaccine to be widely distributed. Another 213,000 jobs were lost in January, an acceleration over December’s decline, according to data recently released by ... READ MORE >
Why Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package would be a boon for Canada
Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion fiscal aid package would not only provide a significant stimulus for the United States, but it would also have a big effect on the Canadian economy. Why should Canadians care? In short, it’s because the Canadian economy cannot help but be affected by its neighbor ... READ MORE >
Trade holds the key to Canada’s economic fortunes
Canada is a trading nation. In fact, the Canadian economy is one of the most dependent on trade among large, developed nations. While Canada’s recovery from the pandemic has been robust, its longer-term economic prospects will depend greatly on the expansion of global trade. The incoming Biden ... READ MORE >
Canada jobs: Canadian economy surprises again, regional disparities remain, outlook uncertain
New jobs data on Friday showed that the Canadian economy added another 952,900 jobs in the month of June, exceeding expectations by a large margin. High frequency and alternative indicators of economic activity such as restaurant bookings, public transportation use and traffic congestion levels had ... READ MORE >
Surprise increase in jobs, but some worrying signs for the Canadian economy
The Canadian economy is coming back on line and appears to have bottomed out--at least for now. Social distancing measures have been eased; real time and high frequency indicators like traffic levels, public transportation use and restaurant bookings have increased. Canada added 289,600 jobs in the ... READ MORE >
Canada should brace for a long recovery: More than 1 million job losses in March
Canada's jobs numbers are in for March and they are worse than expected. In the month of March the Canadian economy shed more than 1 million jobs in comparison to a consensus forecast of 500,000 job losses. All provinces and territories reported job losses, but on a relative basis Alberta suffered ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus impact on Canadian economy calls for more government action
There is no question COVID-19 will significantly wound the Canadian economy. The big question governments and policymakers have to grapple with is whether the downturn will be short term or longer term in nature. Indeed, the answer to this question will help to guide the appropriate fiscal policy ... READ MORE >