Economic Insights.

Dr. Cooper is Dominion Lending Centre's Chief Economist who helps Canadians understand the issues surrounding their most important financial decision – buying a home.

The Canadian Labour Market Lost 24,800 Jobs in January, but the unemployment rate fell to 6.5%.

February 6, 2026

Canadian Jobs Growth Slowed Markedly in January as the Unemployment Rate Fell Sharply to 6.5%. Today’s Canadian Labour Force Survey for January was weaker than expected. Employment declined by 24,800 (-0.1%), and the employment rate decreased 0.1 percentage points to 60.8%. This followed only a small gain in December and was the first decline in the employment rate since August 2025. In January, […]

Bank of Canada Holds Overnight Rate Steady at 2.25%.

January 28, 2026

Bank of Canada Holds Policy Rate Steady Today, the Bank of Canada once again held the policy rate steady at 2.25%. This is the bottom of the Bank’s estimate of the neutral overnight rate, where monetary policy is neither expansionary nor contractionary. With inflation hovering just above 2% and core inflation falling to 2.5%, the Governing Council sees the current […]

Canadian CPI inflation Jumped to 2.4% y/y in December.

January 19, 2026

CPI Inflation in Canada Rose to 2.4% in December The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.4% on a year-over-year basis in December, following a 2.2% increase in the prior two months. The year-over-year acceleration in the all-items CPI was driven by the temporary Goods and Services Tax (GST)/Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) break that began on December 14, 2024. This resulted in monthly declines for the exempt goods and […]

Canadian Existing Home Sales Fell Again in December

January 15, 2026

Housing Activity Fell in December, Rounding Out A Disappointing Year Today’s release of December housing data by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) showed the market ended 2025 with declining sales and prices due to ongoing economic uncertainty. The number of home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems declined 2.7% m/m in December. On an annual basis, transactions totalled 470,314 units […]

Canadian Employment Rises 8,200 as the Jobless Rate Rises to 6.8%.

January 9, 2026

Canadian Job Growth Slows Markedly in December as the Unemployment Rate Rises to 6.8% Today’s Canadian Labour Force Survey for December was weaker than expected. Employment was little changed (+8200; 0.0%), and the employment rate held steady at 60.9%. This followed three consecutive monthly increases. The jobless rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.8%, as more people searched for work. […]