Economy

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Economic Indicators

Jobless stints shorter this time around

Canadians who recently find themselves involuntarily unemployed may take comfort in the fact that the average duration of unemployment is fifteen weeks, according to a new report from CIBC World Markets. This is a marked improvement to the 1991 recession when the average duration of unemployment was 20 weeks. Moreover, the current unemployment period is […]

By Rayann Huang |August 19, 2009

3 min read

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Economic Indicators

Fund manager optimism hits five-year high

The recession is not over but investor pessimism from professional money managers appears to have passed. According to the August edition of the Merrill Lynch Survey of Fund Managers, more than three quarters of the world’s fund managers believe the global economy is poised to strengthen over the next year, marking the highest level of […]

By Mark Noble |August 19, 2009

3 min read

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Economic Indicators

Real estate investment faces challenges

While Canada’s residential real estate market posted its largest year-over-year gain in two years this July, its commercial real estate sector still faces “trying times” and significant obstacles that could send some owners into creditor protection, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. The report blames tight industry lending conditions; poor investor appetite for commercial mortgage-backed […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |August 17, 2009

5 min read

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Economic Indicators

Economy struggled in May

Canada’s GDP contracted by 0.5% in May, posting a slightly worse performance than the 0.3% contraction analysts had predicted. The malaise in the goods-producing sector led the decline as manufacturing activity dropped by 1.6% in May. With the Canadian dollar at its highest point since October 2008, recovery in manufacturing could be held back. The […]

By Rayann Huang |July 31, 2009

3 min read

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Economic Indicators

Bay Street bullish, Canadians less so

Canadians remain guarded about their financial wellbeing, despite a steady stream of positive news bolstering the market, according to the latest Russell Financial Health Index (RFHI) — an online calculator that gauges the overall financial health of investors on a quarterly basis. The index fell to 48.50 points from April to June 2009, down from […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |July 23, 2009

2 min read

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Economic Indicators

Welcome to the trough: BoC

While the Bank of Canada’s Monetary Policy Report confirms the outlook for growth in 2009 and 2010 will remain broadly unchanged from its April Report, it has considerably toned down the risk of a sustained economic decline. At the time of the April Report, the Bank had projected the recession in Canada would deepen further […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |July 23, 2009

4 min read

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Economic Indicators

Bank of Canada’s optimism questioned

As promised months earlier, the Bank of Canada chose to stand pat on holding its current overnight lending rate at 0.25% until the second quarter of 2010. With this announcement came some of the rosiest economic predictions seen in months. In the decision statement, the bank said the “dynamics of the recovery” in Canada remain […]

By Mark Noble |July 21, 2009

5 min read

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Economic Indicators

Export sector a hostage of global economy

Canada’s export sector will continue to struggle through 2009 and well into 2010, as the global economy shakes off the recession, according to Export Development Canada. Total export value for 2009 will be off 21% compared to 2008, and the EDC predicts only 6.6% growth in 2010. “The good news is that global commerce is […]

By Steven Lamb |July 9, 2009

2 min read

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Economic Indicators

Global recovery to ramp up in 2011

Stock values and commodity prices may be on the rise, and there has not been a major bank failure in months, but it is still too early to say a global economic recovery is underway, according to one think-tank. “Expectations of ‘green shoots’ haven’t been met,” says Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for IHS Global Insight. […]

By Steven Lamb |June 30, 2009

2 min read

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Economic Indicators

We’re still in recession: World Bank

Hopes that the recession may be drawing to a close were dashed Monday, as the World Bank issued a rather desolate forecast for global economic growth and trade — of output falling by 2.9%; world trade by nearly 10%; and private capital flows likely to plummet from $707 billion in 2008 to an anticipated $363 […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |June 22, 2009

2 min read

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