New filings for jobless benefits last week rose to 230,000 from 207,000 in the prior week, exceeding the average pre-pandemic level for the first time in six weeks as the impact of the omicron variant began to be felt in the labor market. … READ MORE >
Blog
Changing work patterns in the middle market: An MMBI special report
COVID-19 has had a wide range of effects on how middle market businesses conduct operations. Although many of the innovations that companies instituted to deal with the pandemic were meant to be stop-gap measures, some of these initiatives are now here to stay. Read RSM’s new Middle Market Business Index special report on these issues. … READ MORE >
RSM Canada Supply Chain Index shows continued strain
Supply chain disruptions in Canada worsened in December as businesses continued to be hindered by the fallout from flooding in British Columbia and a shortage of workers. … READ MORE >
RSM Canada Financial Conditions Index shows the return of risk
Risk is being reintroduced into Canada’s financial markets as investment decisions and monetary policy begin to pivot from interest rates at the zero bound. … READ MORE >
Price stability now a paramount concern as inflation hits 7%
The Consumer Price Index rose to a 7% annual rate in December, presenting a challenge to the Federal Reserve as it attempts to restore price stability. … READ MORE >
New entrants are changing the face of Canada’s telecom industry
Between the sheer number of licenses awarded and their higher quality, the summer 2021 spectrum auction was undoubtedly one of the most important events in Canadian telecom history and hugely important to improving connectivity across the country. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Inflation and labor shortages pressure small businesses
Inflation and labor shortages continued to put pressures on small businesses as the Small Business Optimism Index in December remained below its pre-pandemic level, up only 0.5 points to 98.9. … READ MORE >
Consumer products M&A insights from the fourth quarter
Each quarter RSM’s senior industry analysts and mergers and acquisitions professionals provide a glimpse into the middle market consumer products deal environment. Here’s the latest. … READ MORE >
Monetary and fiscal policy in a changing economy: The Fed’s mandate for price stability
In the year ahead, the economy and financial markets will be influenced by how the Federal Reserve strikes a balance between its dual mandates of full employment and price stability. We examine the challenge of keeping prices stable. … READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of Jan. 3
This week we explore a partnership between a large biopharma and a machine learning startup along with other developments impacting the life sciences industry. … READ MORE >