Canadian building permits rose by 6.8% in November to an all-time-high of 11.2 billion CAD, the third straight monthly increase demand for residential housing remained strong. … READ MORE >
Covid-19
Labor market tightened in November despite decline in job openings
Demand for labor declined slightly in November while the rate of people quitting their jobs returned to an all-time high, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. … READ MORE >
Consumer confidence surveys reflect a bifurcation of the nation’s economy
Recent readings of consumer confidence are revealing an increasingly bifurcated economy as households continue to grapple with the pandemic. … READ MORE >
Consumer confidence improves despite concern over omicron variant and inflation
The Conference Board’s headline consumer confidence index rose by 3.9 points to 115.8 on the month, the largest increase in three months and the highest since July, according to data from the Conference Board on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
Five things to know in life sciences: Week of Dec. 13
From eye drops that replace glasses to a new Pfizer facility focused on gene therapy, each week we highlight five things to know in life sciences. Here’s the latest. … READ MORE >
FOMC meeting: Setting the stage for three rate hikes in 2022
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday set the stage for multiple increases in the federal funds policy rate next year by accelerating the tapering of asset purchases to $30 billion per month, up from $15 billion. The tapering should be wrapped up by March. … READ MORE >
Five things that retail sales tell us about holiday shopping
Navigating the strong headwinds from the pandemic has not been easy for retailers this holiday season, but here are five things we have learned about their response as reflected in the November retail sales data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
Canada inflation steady at 4.7% amid high gasoline and food prices
Canada’s inflation in November remained at 4.7% on an annual basis, primarily because of increasing prices for gasoline, food and shelter, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Consumer sentiment improves slightly amid inflation
The headline consumer sentiment index rose to 70.4 on the month from 67.4 previously, and only 0.1 higher than August when the delta variant’s surge hit the United States. … READ MORE >
Five things to know in life sciences: Week of Dec. 6
From leadless pacemakers to a possible new Alzheimer’s treatment, each week we highlight five things impacting the life sciences industry. … READ MORE >