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.

Trump did it–the trade war started at midnight. Stocks and currencies are falling, but so are interest rates

March 4, 2025

Trump Did It–Trade War Starts Today Trump has imposed tariffs of 25% on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, 10% on Canadian energy, and an additional 10% on goods from China. He justified these actions by claiming they would force Mexico and Canada to address issues related to undocumented migration and drug trafficking. However, while precursor chemicals for fentanyl come […]

Canadian GDP Growth Accelerated in Q4 to 2.6% Compared to an Upwardly Revised 2.2% in Q3

February 28, 2025

Canada Finished 2024 on a Stronger Note, But Tariffs Remain a Concern This morning, Statistics Canada released the GDP data for the final quarter of last year, showing a stronger-than-expected increase in household final consumption spending, exports, and business investment. However, drawdowns of business inventories and higher imports tempered the overall growth. In Q4, the Canadian economy accelerated, with real […]

Canadian Inflation Edged Upward to 1.9% Y/Y in January

February 18, 2025

Canadian Inflation Edged Upward to 1.9% Y/Y in January In January, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.9% year over year (y/y), up from 1.8% in December. This rise was primarily due to an uptick in energy prices. Excluding gasoline, the CPI increased by 1.7% in January, down from 1.8% in December. Higher energy prices, particularly gasoline and […]

Canadian New Listings Surged in January as Tariff Uncertainty Weighed on Sales

February 18, 2025

Global Tariff Uncertainty Is Not Good For the Canadian Housing Market Canadian MLS® Systems posted a double-digit jump in new supply in January 2025 when compared to December 2024. At the same time, sales activity fell off at the end of the month, likely reflecting uncertainty over the potential for a trade war with the United States. Although sales were […]

Canada’s January Unemployment Rate Fell to 6.6% On Stronger-Than-Expected Job Growth

February 7, 2025

Stronger-Than-Expected Jobs Report in January Today’s Labour Force Survey for January surprised on the high side as businesses expanded employment despite threats of a tariff war with the US. According to Statistics Canada, employment increased by 76,000 last month, bringing the jobless rate down to 6.6%. Economists in a Bloomberg survey expected a smaller rise of 25,000 jobs, with the […]