The annual rate of inflation eased back below three per cent in June as motorists paid less to fill up the gas tank, Statistics Canada said Monday. Inflation slowed to 2.8 per cent in June, down from the recent high of 3.2 per cent in May and a tick lower than most economists were expecting. The agency pointed to a...
Canadian consumer confidence eased this week, with the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index declining to 51.43 from 52.65 the previous week. The index remains below its 2026 high of 54.19 and well below the peak recorded in 2021.
Peter Nicholson: Thanks, Chris. Since the events of July 2 we have quite a bit more information on the agreement between Canada and Alberta over the rules that are going to govern both the pipeline and oil sands production developments. I think there is a growing recognition that a pipeline shouldn’t be a “field of dreams” – that it is...
The Bank of Canada is holding its policy rate at 2.25 per cent and says that it expects the Canadian economy to improve, despite flatlined growth over the past 18 months. But there are big caveats. Although the economy is showing signs of improvement and inflation is easing, the BOC’s new monetary policy report released today warns that uncertainty driven...
A better start to the youth summer jobs market helped the economy record steady employment gains in June, Statistics Canada said Friday. Employers added 18,000 jobs last month, the agency said, mostly in part-time and private sector work. That pushed the unemployment rate down a tenth of a point to 6.5 per cent, back to where it stood in January...
The research gauged the views of Canadians on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s job of handling the economy.
Canada’s economic confidence has remained broadly stable. The Bloomberg-Nanos Canadian Confidence Index stood at 51.24, slightly higher than four weeks earlier and just above the neutral benchmark. Views on personal finances and job security were largely unchanged, while expectations for the economy and housing have improved modestly.
Foreign investors including pension funds, insurance companies and hedge funds are buying Canada’s federal bonds in record amounts, easing the cost of funding Prime Minister Mark Carney’s expensive nation-building projects but potentially introducing more volatility to Canada’s debt market.
The Canadian economy was back in growth mode to start the second quarter, rebounding from a mild contraction in the first three months of 2026. Statistics Canada said Tuesday that real gross domestic product rose 0.5 per cent in April, the fastest growth rate for the economy since July 2025. The result topped StatCan's early estimate for 0.4 per cent...
It's going to be a blockbuster kind of week for the Canadian economy. The deadline to renew CUSMA will (almost assuredly) swoosh by on Wednesday, accompanied by a chorus of commentary and recriminations. Before we get there, we will get the latest GDP numbers for April on Tuesday. The economy has been struggling to find its footing. We experienced back-to-back...
Canadian economic sentiment remains stable. The Bloomberg‑Nanos index stood at 50.88, up from 50.70 four weeks earlier and close to neutral. Current conditions eased slightly, with the pocketbook measure at 51.82, while expectations rose to 49.93. Overall levels remain below the longer-term average of 54.73 and the recent peak of 54.19, suggesting a broadly balanced but somewhat cautious economic outlook.
What’s worse: That Donald Trump wants to break off trade with Canada, or that the U.S. president doesn’t want us to trade with anybody else? Never before as a country have we been so outraged into collective retaliation as we have by America’s rejection of us, its closest trading partner. But whatever we may think of America’s political trajectory, the...
Most economists, including at the Bank of Canada, were a bit surprised when Statistics Canada reported late last month that the economy contracted slightly over the first three months of the year. The consensus estimate among economists and monetary policymakers was for real GDP growth of roughly 1.5 per cent annualized in the first quarter. When the figures actually showed...
Inflation has surged to its highest level in years, Statistics Canada announced Monday, and we can rightly blame U.S. President Donald Trump and his war in Iran for the oil-fueled increase.
Statistics Canada says high gas prices pushed the annual rate of inflation to 3.2 per cent in May. That’s up from 2.8 per cent in April and marks the first time annual inflation has topped three per cent since late 2023. The agency says gas prices rose for the third consecutive month in May thanks to the Middle East war...
Welcome to Mind Your Business! Consider this your weekly guide to understanding what’s happening in the worlds of economics, business and finance.
Canadian consumer confidence remains subdued, with the composite index edging down to 50.42 from 51.73 four weeks earlier, remaining close to neutral. Household sentiment has weakened, as the pocketbook measure declined to 51.48 from 55.01, reflecting softer views on personal finances and job security. Expectations improved modestly to 49.36 but remains below neutral.
Canada’s economic mood remains near neutral with a slight dip from recent weeks. Household sentiment has eased, while expectations remain broadly unchanged. Overall, views are balanced, with Canadian’s cautious sentiment prevailing.
The Liberal government has announced a national food security strategy aimed at giving Canadians more access to locally produced fruit, vegetables and other fresh items at lower prices. The plan outlined Thursday is intended to change the way food is bought, sold, transported and distributed in Canada to better support farmers, small independent players and consumers. The government says the...
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says that based on the data he’s seen to date, this country’s economy is weak but “it is not clearly in recession.” “There’s been a lot of volatility, month to month, quarter to quarter, but when you look through the bumps, I mean the economy hasn’t really grown in the last year, but it...
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem doesn't think the economy is in a recession, but he does acknowledge some recent weakness — something other economists argue should give the central bank more leeway to keep its key interest rate steady for the rest of the year.
The unofficial authority on recession calls in Canada says it's too soon to use that word to describe the sluggish economy. Debate has raged on Parliament Hill over whether the country is in a recession since Statistics Canada reported last week that the economy contracted for two quarters in a row. The C.D. Howe Institute's Business Cycle Council is traditionally...
A surprisingly strong May jobs report has reinforced many economists' views that the Canadian economy is not in a recession. Statistics Canada reported Friday that the economy added 88,000 jobs in May, topping economists' expectations for a gain of 10,000 positions. The agency said the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent last month, down from 6.9 per cent in...
The labour market rebounded with a surprise gain of 88,000 jobs in May, partially offsetting a bigger drop in employment since the start of the year, Statistics Canada said Friday. The agency said the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in May, down from 6.9 per cent in April. StatCan said May’s gains were the first significant increase in...
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that lower immigration under his government helps to explain why Canada's economy has declined for the last two quarters, pushing it into recession territory. While Carney has not said the word "recession" himself when asked about the decline -- and while economists citing broader economic indicators argue Canada is not in a true recession...
After Canada’s economy slipped into a technical recession last week, a new outlook by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, said on Wednesday said that GDP growth is set to rebound later in the year and continue growing into 2027. “GDP growth is expected to strengthen over 2026 and 2027,” the OECD said in a note about...
While Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged weaknesses in the Canadian economy, he also defended the federal government’s economic agenda on Tuesday and did not use the word “recession.” “This government’s been in the process of laying the foundations for a stronger, more resilient, more independent Canadian economy,” Carney said Tuesday when asked directly by reporters in Ottawa about whether Canada...
Canadians continue to skip along in neutral territory. Of note, Ontario remains the noticeably most negative in terms of consumer sentiment compared to all other parts of the country.
Statistics Canada says economic growth stalled in the first quarter, leading to a second consecutive decline in real gross domestic product. That meets some definitions for a technical recession, though not all economists weighing in on StatCan's Friday report were convinced the label was necessary. Real gross domestic product by expenditure was essentially unchanged on a quarter-over-quarter basis, StatCan said...
Canada’s economic mood is holding broadly steady, with confidence at 51.73, plateauing after consecutive weeks of recovery from recent lows. Firmer views on job security and household finances support the index, while expectations for the wider economy remain subdued.
Canada's annual inflation rate rose to 2.8 per cent in April, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday, in large part due to soaring prices at the pump. Energy prices overall rose a whopping 19.2 per cent year-over-year in April, following a 3.9 per cent increase the month before. Statistics Canada said the cost of gasoline specifically rose even quicker, and was...
Everything should be adjusted for inflation and population growth. This is something I always think of when looking at comparative stats. When I saw a few days ago that Canadian personal insolvencies had hit a level we hadn’t seen since 2009—the era of the global financial crisis and the so-called Great Recession—I immediately thought about this. And it turns out...
Canadian consumer confidence ticked up to 51.88, a modest improvement from recent weakness but still below its long-term average. People feel somewhat better about their own finances and job security, while views on the broader economy remain more subdued. Overall, the picture is fairly steady: a bit more confidence in current conditions, alongside continued caution about the near-term outlook.
The research gauged the opinions among Canadians on their perceptions and concerns regarding economic conditions.
Canada’s economic mood is edging up. Stronger views of personal finances and job security are lifting sentiment, while expectations have improved but remain in neutral territory. After a recent dip, confidence is stabilizing.
Canada’s unemployment rate rose 0.2 per cent in April as the country lost around 18,000 jobs and more people looked for work. Younger Canadians, though, saw unemployment rise by a larger margin than the overall rate, Statistics Canada shows as the rate for Canadians aged 15 to 24, rose by half a percentage point to 14.3 per cent.
The Bank of Canada is weighing whether to spell out how it responds to supply shocks in its monetary policy framework, including how much emphasis it places on the strength of the economy when tackling inflation.
Canada’s confidence has stabilized at neutral. The index has recovered from April lows, signalling a pause in pessimism rather than a clear recovery. Of note, personal finances and economic expectations remain weak. Improved expectations suggest cautious hope, but momentum is limited and fragile overall nationwide.
While the national unemployment rate has held steady in recent months, a surge in youth unemployment and widespread pessimism about job prospects point to a labour market that feels far weaker than top-line numbers suggest. This, as federal government announced plans Tuesday, to invest billions in skills training and workforce growth as part of the government’s spring economic statement.
Canadian consumer confidence is stuck in a holding pattern. The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index has edged up from recent lows but remains below the threshold that would signal broad optimism. Household sentiment is being pulled in opposite directions: job security remains relatively firm, cushioning anxiety, while pessimism about the wider economy and real estate prices continues to drag expectations...
