Canadian real estate leaders must decide how to act in 2025 as further interest rate cuts loom, stricter immigration policies take effect and the federal government’s 10-year bonds are up. Real estate leaders view these challenges through a lens of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity ... READ MORE >
employment
Canada’s job market cools as unemployment rises to 6.8%
Canada added 51,000 jobs in November, double the expected number, but the overall picture does not look rosy. The unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.8 per cent — the highest since January 2017 — as more people looked for work. A slow job market finally hit wages, as wage growth ... READ MORE >
Manufacturing sector jobs dipped in August
The manufacturing sector lost 24,000 jobs in August, following an upward-adjusted addition of 6,000 in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Using a three-month moving average, manufacturing job additions have maintained a breakeven pattern for the past two and a half years but with the ... READ MORE >
Service sector growth eases in July
The service sector grew more slowly in July as it continued to show resilience despite recession concerns. The Institute for Supply Management's index for services inched down to 52.7 in July from 53.9 in June, indicating expansion for the seventh straight month. Underneath the top-line number, the ... READ MORE >
U.S. second-half economic outlook: Muddling through
The resilient American economy refuses to go gentle into that good night. The evidence is growing stronger: A rapid decline in inflation amid robust hiring and an unemployment rate that stands at 3.6% despite a steep rise in interest rates. That reality, reflected by what looks to be ... READ MORE >
Canada jobs report tops forecasts, showing resilience amid recession fears
Canada’s March jobs report came out hotter than expected, adding more pressure on the Bank of Canada’s fight against inflation. While we don't see another rate hike in 2023 for now, there were not a lot of reasons from Thursday's Statistics Canada report that suggest we will see rate cuts either. The ... READ MORE >
Jobless claims rise, but remain below pre-pandemic level
New jobless claims increased for the first time in six weeks, yet they remained under the pre-pandemic level despite a significant recent increase in layoff announcements. New filings for unemployment benefits increased by 7.1% to 196,000 for the week ending Feb. 4, the Labor Department ... READ MORE >
What do the latest job numbers say about the health care sector?
According to the latest nonfarm payroll jobs report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care added 44,700 jobs, which exceeded our estimate of 40,000. The overall economy added 263,000 jobs last month, a slight increase over October’s 261,000. These results also exceeded the consensus ... READ MORE >
Inflation persists as spending rebounds strongly in September
Government data released Friday indicates that the Federal Reserve will need to keep its foot on the gas pedal: while inflation data came out slightly better than expected, the key wage inflation metric—the employment cost index—remained elevated, according to the Labor Department. On top of that, ... READ MORE >
Staffing firms see strong demand as hiring remains steady
Three recent studies indicate that hiring remains a priority for companies throughout the economy, an auspicious sign for staffing firms facing economic headwinds. Staffing firms continue to hire—for now Staffing jobs for the week ending Sep. 25 increased 6.6% compared to the same period last year, ... READ MORE >