Canadian households are piling on debt, but it may not be the usual sign of confidence. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows household credit hit a record high in November. Rising credit use can be a sign of economic health, but not when paired with accelerating inflation and soaring borrowing costs. The combination paints a picture […]
Canada hasn’t seen this many businesses planning to downsize in a decade, as they try to curb rising costs. That was the general takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) latest Business Outlook Survey (BOS) for Q4 2025. Firms aren’t just bracing for a slowdown and hiring freeze, but the share of firms expecting staff […]
Temporary factors have muted inflation, but they’re starting to fade. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data show the Consumer Price Index (CPI) accelerated in December. Excluding gas sends the value soaring, hitting the Bank of Canada’s upper bound. One bright spot is the slowdown in shelter costs, but the distribution was uneven. Only homeowners are seeing slowing […]
Canadian real estate prices haven’t fallen much, but the value of the loonie has. BMO Capital Markets warns inflation-adjusted home prices have rolled back almost a decade. In a research note to investors, the bank explains that fundamentals are returning. Weak sales may be less about affordability and more about generational hesitance. Canadian Real Estate […]
The Canadian housing market rolled back progress, ending the year worse than 2024. Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data shows home prices fell sharply in December. The unusually large drop was accompanied by falling sales and one of the strongest turnouts for sellers on record. The combination suggests the market isn’t firming, but may be […]
Canada’s real estate slump is hitting the rental market. Rentals.ca data shows average rent fell in December, now at the lowest level since mid-2023. High-priced cities accounted for virtually the whole drop, while affordable cities led growth. The divergence has cut the gap between the most and least expensive cities in half. Are expensive markets […]
Out with the new, in with the old? Canada’s job market looked stable in December, but the details tell another story. Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) Labour Force Survey shows flat headline employment, but the composition is shifting fast. Older workers and publicly-funded, non-market sectors are seeing substantial gains. Meanwhile, youth and market-based private sector jobs are […]
Canada’s central bank won’t love what the latest trade data says about the economy. Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) latest merchandise trade data shows a return to deficit territory in October due to surging imports. Demand is running so hot it’s seeking its fix abroad, while demand for Canadian goods is failing to keep up. The imbalance […]
Greater Toronto real estate started 2025 with a whimper and ended with… near silence. Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) data shows prices continued to slide in December. The drop was driven by inventory at record highs and sales slipping lower, with the latter’s volume ending 2025 as the weakest volume in 25 years. While […]
Canadian households saw their wages grow faster than inflation, but those gains failed to keep up with essentials. That was the take from RBC in its 2026 outlook, noting the cost of food and housing continues to outpace incomes. The bank sees inflation pressures moderating further this year, but warns affordability pressures aren’t going away […]
