Labour
June 06, 2025
Canadian Employment (May 2025)
Canada's labour market continued to soften in May. The unemployment rate continued to rise, and the impact of U.S. tariffs is clearly evident in industry and regional patterns. Wage gains were steady in May but have cooled from a roughly 5% pace a year ago.
March 04, 2025
Cradle to grave: Lifecycle emissions of electric versus gasoline vehicles in Canada
Battery electric vehicles have significantly lower lifecycle emissions than gasoline vehicles. While electric vehicles start off with a higher carbon footprint due to emissions associated with battery production, fuel-related emissions of gasoline vehicles are far greater and drive the emissions gap between the two vehicle types.
February 20, 2025
The State of the Canadian Job Market and a Lookahead to an Uncertain Future
Canada’s economy is facing no shortage of risks in the months ahead, from the potential of U.S. tariffs to a population slowdown to uncertainty around the upcoming federal election. On the plus side, Canada’s labour market is starting 2025 in solid shape, providing a decent foundation to the economy as it navigates this potentially bumpy period. Indeed, for all of Canada’s economic challenges – weak economic growth, poor productivity, and deteriorating housing affordability – the job market has been serving as a pillar of economic stability.
October 03, 2024
Racing to a Decarbonized Transport Future, with a Little Help from Government Incentives
Zero-emission vehicle adoption has been expanding across Canada, but more so in British Columbia and Québec where the market has benefited from years of consistent government support. In particular, provincial and federal rebates for consumers buying or leasing zero-emission vehicles have been instrumental in shoring up consumer demand.
September 16, 2024
Canada’s Business Dynamism in a Post-Pandemic Slump
Already on the downshift trajectory before COVID-19, Canada’s business dynamism is struggling to get back on its feet. A slow rate of net business entries and rise in bankruptcies resulted in deteriorating business growth. Companies, employing more than 20 and less than 500 employees are at the forefront of this downturn.
September 13, 2024
U.S. 2024 Election: Economic and Financial Implications
Elections matter for the economy, but financial markets are likely to be particularly attuned to the current election cycle given America’s unsustainable fiscal trajectory. The make-up of Congress will determine how much of the future President’s agenda can be implemented. A divided Congress will likely force the next President to make significant concessions relative to their current platform proposals.
September 12, 2024
From Bad to Worse: Canada’s Productivity Slowdown is Everyone’s Problem
Canada has seen its productivity go from bad to worse since the pandemic. If Canada does not play to win on labour productivity, it risks a continued drop in living standards, worsening wage stagnation and a dangerous deterioration in public services.
