Weaker-Than-Expected August Jobs Report Raises Prospect Of Larger Rate Cuts Statistics Canada released August employment data today, showing continued growth in excess supply in labour markets nationwide. Employment changed little last month, up 22,100. The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased a tick to 60.8%, marking the fourth […]

Bank of Canada Cuts Rates Another Quarter Point Today, the Bank of Canada cut the overnight policy rate by another 25 basis points to 4.25%. This is the third consecutive decrease since June. The Bank’s decision reflects two main developments. First, headline and core inflation have continued to ease as expected. Second, as inflation gets […]

Q2 Canadian Growth, Boosted By Record Population Gains, Slows In June And July Canada’s economy grew a bit more than expected in the second quarter, but falling per-capita gross domestic product and softening household consumption assure the Bank of Canada that it will cut rates for a third consecutive meeting next week. Canadian GDP rose […]

More Good News On The Canadian Inflation Front Inflation in Canada decelerated once again in July to its slowest pace in three years, assuring the central bank will cut rates for the third consecutive meeting on September 4. The US is also widely expected to begin easing monetary policy at its September confab. The annual […]

Canadian Housing Market Paused In July Despite the continued decline in interest rates, the Canadian housing market saw summer doldrums last month. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) announced today that national home sales fell 0.7% monthly while rising 4.8% from year-ago levels. A significant uptick in sales activity is likely this fall, reflecting both […]

Weaker-Than-Expected July Jobs Report Keeps BoC Rate Cuts In-Play Canadian employment data, released today by Statistics Canada, showed a continued slowdown, which historically would have been a harbinger of recession. This cycle, immigration has augmented the growth of the labour force and consumer spending, forestalling a significant economic downturn. Employment declined again in July, down […]

Canadian Inflation Fell in June, Setting the Stage For BoC Rate Cut Inflation unexpectedly slipped 0.1% (not seasonally adjusted) in June, following a 0.6% increase in May. This was the first decline in six months. The monthly decrease was driven by lower prices for travel tours (-11.1%) and gasoline (-3.1%). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7% year over year […]

Early Signs Of Renewed Life In June Housing Markets The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) announced today that national home sales rose 3.7% between May and June following the Bank of Canada’s rate cut. While activity was still muted, it wasn’t nearly as weak as the media recently portrayed. “It wasn’t a ‘blow the doors […]

Weaker-Than-Expected June Jobs Report Keeps BoC Rate Cuts In Play Canadian employment data, released today by Statistics Canada, showed a marked slowdown, which historically would have been a harbinger of recession. This cycle, immigration has augmented the growth of the labour force and consumer spending, forestalling a significant economic downturn. Nevertheless, the Bank of Canada […]

Canadian Inflation Rose In May, Surprising Markets Inflation unexpectedly rose in May, disappointing the Bank of Canada as it deliberates the possibility of another rate cut next month. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.9% in May from a year ago, up from a 2.7% reading in April. This increase primarily reflects higher prices for […]