The Canadian Housing Market Ends 2024 On a Weak Note Home sales activity recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems softened in December, falling 5.8% compared to November. However, they were still 13% above their level in May, just before the Bank of Canada began cutting interest rates. The fourth quarter of 2024 saw sales up 10% from the third quarter and […]
Stronger-Than-Expected Jobs Report in December Today’s Labour Force Survey for December was much stronger than expected, as many thought the Canada Post strike would have a larger impact. Employment rose by 90,900 net new jobs last month, and the employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed— increased by 0.2 percentage points to 60.8%. The jobless rate […]
Good News On The Inflation Front The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.9% year-over-year (y/y) in November, down from a 2.0% increase in October. Slower price growth was broad-based, with prices for travel tours and the mortgage interest cost index contributing the most to the deceleration. Excluding gasoline, the all-items CPI rose 2.0% in November, following a 2.2% gain in October. Prices for food purchased […]
Chrystia Freeland Resigns On The Day of The Fall Economic Statement Finance Minister Freeland rocked markets today by submitting her resignation from Cabinet. Trudeau had asked her to take another Cabinet post, but she declined in a scathing letter accusing Trudeau of “costly political gimmicks” like “bribe-us-with-our-own-money cheques for $250 and a two-month GST holiday. “Inevitably, our time in government will […]
The Canadian Housing Market Strengthens Further Home sales activity recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems rose again in November, building on October’s surprise jump. Sales were up 2.8% m/m in November compared to October and now stand a cumulative 18.4% above where they were in May, just before the first interest rate cut in early June. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) monthly […]