The American economy added 223,000 jobs in December, the unemployment rate fell to 3.5% and wages increased by 4.6%. … READ MORE >
inflation
Jobs report preview: Strong close to year as wages remain elevated
We expect the December U.S. jobs report on Friday to show an increase in total employment of 220,000 positions. … READ MORE >
Canada inflation eases, but the fight is not over
November’s headline consumer price index in Canada dropped to a 6.8% increase from 6.9% on a year-ago basis, remaining significantly above the 2% target rate. … READ MORE >
Housing starts and permits fall as the correction continues
New housing starts dropped for the third month in a row in November as the housing market continued to be in correction mode. … READ MORE >
Financial conditions and Canada’s real economy
Tightening financial conditions are hurting the Canadian economy to the point where the rising risk of a recession and a housing contraction much larger than anticipated cannot be discounted. … READ MORE >
FOMC decision: Fed lifts policy rate to range of 4.25% to 4.5%
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lifted its policy rate by 50 basis points and laid the groundwork for an eventual pause in interest rate increases early next year. … READ MORE >
November CPI: Easing inflation amid surging housing costs poses dilemma for Fed
The sharp 3.4% decline in goods costs on a three-month average annualized pace stands in contrast with the 8.9% increase in housing costs, all of which poses quite a dilemma for the Fed. … READ MORE >
Did fiscal spending go too far? Assessing the global economy.
Policymakers, firm managers and investors should anticipate a significant fiscal narrowing for both public and private actors in the post-pandemic period. … READ MORE >
FOMC preview: Policy rate to increase by 50 basis points
Such an increase would follow a series of 75 basis-point increases and would lift the Fed’s policy rate to a range between 4.25% and 4.5%. … READ MORE >
Producer price inflation hotter than expected ahead of Fed’s meeting
The producer price index for final demand rose by 0.3% in November and by 7.4% year-over-year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. … READ MORE >