Canada will have a hard time putting a positive spin on the latest employment data. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows the country added jobs in August but added 4x the volume of workers too. As a result, the unemployment rate pushed higher—especially in the country’s largest cities, which are now showing unemployment rates consistent […]
Canada’s remote workforce has been breathing new life into small cities, but that may come crashing down soon. The Government of Canada (GoC) has ordered its remote workforce back to the office starting next week. The reasons cited haven’t been particularly strong, but the impact on big cities has been. Downtowns have been hollowed out […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Government Spending Now 80% of GDP Growth Canada’s economy grew faster than expected but still showed recession-like behavior. Annualized real GDP growth came in at 2.1% for Q2 2024, much higher than market expectations. However, the details were less flattering with […]
Canada’s economy is expanding, but the details are worth reviewing before getting too excited. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows real gross domestic product (GDP) grew more than expected in Q2 2024. A dive into the details shows productivity further eroded on a per capita basis, while household spending weakened. Most growth is now government […]
Canada’s attempt to use immigration as stimulus might be backfiring. That was the message from a new BMO report, looking at the unusually high unemployment rate for recent immigrants. The labor market for recent immigrants is eroding much faster than it is for the rest of Canada—at a rate rarely seen outside of recession. The […]
Greater Toronto real estate is slow but new housing has ground to a halt. Altus Group and BILD GTA data shows Greater Toronto has never seen fewer homes sold in July. Prices have dropped significantly from the peak, but not enough to prevent demand from hitting a record low. If a firmer market is ahead, […]
Canada will try to break its rising dependence on low-wage, temporary foreign workers (TFWs). This week the Government of Canada (GoC) announced it will freeze processing of TFWs in some regions with elevated unemployment. Despite rising unemployment, the program has seen explosive growth with annual volumes rising 300% over the past five years. Just the […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Real Estate Inventory Grew More Than 2x The Rate of Sales Canadian home sellers expected rate cuts to stimulate the market, but apparently no one told buyers. July saw annual growth of new listings grow at double the rate of sales. […]
Canadian real estate prices have yet to budge, but there’s a lot more inventory hitting the market. Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data shows new listings surged in July 2024. An army of sellers hit the market last month, sending new listings to grow at more than double the rate of sales. Some of the […]
Canada’s planned builder boom is turning into a bust. The Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) released the results of its Q2 2024 survey. They found that home builder sentiment remained negative for an 8th consecutive quarter. As a result of weak demand, most plan to significantly reduce the numbers of homes they build—by half on […]
