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.

Canadian Inflation Rises to Highest Level Since 2023 on the Back of a Spike in Gasoline Prices

June 22, 2026

Canadian Inflation Rose to 3.2% in May as Core Inflation Remained Subdued Higher gasoline prices pushed Canadian inflation to a more than two-year high, while underlying inflation pressures showed little sign of accelerating, with core measures broadly unchanged and price gains less broad-based. Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.2% in May, Statistics Canada reported Monday, marking its highest level […]

National home sales jumped 5.5% m/m in May as new listings edged down and the Home Price Index (HPI) was down a meagre 0.1% m/m.

June 16, 2026

Housing Market Regains Momentum, Providing a Strong Handoff into Summer Canada’s housing market gained meaningful momentum in May, with sales posting their strongest monthly increase of the year and leading indicators pointing to further improvement in June. After months of uncertainty, the market appears to be transitioning from stabilization to recovery as lower borrowing costs, easing energy prices, and improved […]

The Bank of Canada held the overnight policy rate steady at 2.25% for the fifth consecutive meeting.

June 10, 2026

Bank of Canada Holds Policy Rate Steady Today, the Bank of Canada once again held the policy rate 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 at 2.8% and core inflation falling to 2.0% (as of April data), the Governing Council sees […]

So Much For Recession, Canada’s May Jobs Report Was A Blockbuster

June 5, 2026

So Much For Recession Worries, The May Jobs Report For Canada Was A Blockbuster Canadian employment surged 87,800 in May, the strongest reading since 2024. Today’s Labour Market Survey dispels recession concerns, but leaves the Bank of Canada open to a possible rate hike later this year or next if inflation remains troubling. The Canadian economy continues to show resilience […]

Canada enters a technical recession as Q1 2026 GDP fell by 0.1% on an annualized basis.

May 29, 2026

Canada’s Economy Edges Into A Technical Recession For the First Time Since 2020 Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy contracted slightly, by 0.1%, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026. That follows a 1% contraction in the fourth quarter, a downward revision from the previously reported 0.6% decrease. Higher imports of goods, […]