In an acknowledgment of the economy's surprise contraction in the third quarter, the Bank of Canada on Wednesday shifted its tone on monetary policy from hawkish to neutral as it held its policy rate steady at 5 per cent. A series of gradual rate cuts from the current 5% is in order starting in April ... READ MORE >
Canada’s unemployment rises to 5.8%, adding to case for rate cuts
Canada added 25,000 jobs in November as its unemployment rate climbed to 5.8%, its highest level since January 2022, Statistics Canada reported on Friday. Together with the weak third-quarter gross domestic product report on Thursday, November’s jobs data adds more evidence to the argument for the Bank ... READ MORE >
Canada’s economy contracted more than expected, suggesting a pivot on rates
Canada’s economy contracted more than expected in the third quarter, suggesting that the Bank of Canada might soon pivot to cutting rates, as early as April, to avoid a deeper recession than needed. Canada’s gross domestic product declined by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter and by 1.1 per cent on an ... READ MORE >
As Canada pledges to restrain spending, it confronts a housing crisis
With Canada’s debt and interest payments rising, the federal government pledged this week to exercise restraint in spending. The announcement, which came Tuesday in the government's Fall Economic Statement, comes amid rising pressure for Canada to avoid fueling inflation with more spending, especially ... READ MORE >
Canada sees disinflation as gasoline prices ease
Canada’s consumer price index in October speaks loud and clear: Disinflation is here, and no more rate hikes by the Bank of Canada are needed. Inflation fell to 3.1% on a year-over-year basis, according to Statistics Canada on Tuesday. On a monthly basis, prices fell by 0.1%. The plunge is largely ... READ MORE >
Canada’s unemployment rate rises to 5.7% as hiring slows
More than a year and a half since the Bank of Canada began raising interest rates to cool the economy and tame inflation, the job market is feeling the effects. The Canadian economy added 18,000 jobs in October, down from a gain of 63,800 in September, as the unemployment rate rose by 0.2% to 5.7%, ... READ MORE >
Canada continues to bet on immigration to boost growth
As Canada grapples with an aging population and a shrinking pool of available workers, it has increasingly looked to immigration to fill the gap. This week, Canadian immigration officials signaled that they have no plans to change course, unveiling a new plan that looks to immigration, particularly for ... READ MORE >
Bank of Canada holds at 5% as growth outlook softens
The Bank of Canada held its overnight rate at 5% on Wednesday and will continue its policy of quantitative tightening, moves that were widely expected given the projected weaker growth at home and abroad this year and into next year. Weakened growth globally dampens economic activities in Canada as ... READ MORE >
Canada’s inflation had broad-based deceleration in September
Canada’s headline inflation rate declined to 3.8% in September from 4.0% in August, reversing the upward trend of the past three months and a sign of progress in the Bank of Canada's efforts to restore price stability. On a month-over-month basis, the consumer price index dropped by 0.1% for the first ... READ MORE >
Canada has an acute shortage of housing. Easing regulations would help solve that.
Canada’s housing crisis keeps getting worse. The latest Housing Supply Report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation concluded that the level of new construction is too low to address the long-term housing supply gap. The housing supply grew by only 1% in the first half of this year, ... READ MORE >