Hot Topics in Economics

		Pedro Antunes Director National and Provincial Forecast
		Brent Dowdall  Manager, Communications

Canadians make their final RRSP contributions for 2010 next week. Yet, for most, the dream of retiring at 55 is over, squashed by the effects of the recession. The baby-boom generation, a huge cohort that is ...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

In his January 2011 State of the Union address, U.S. President Obama told the American people that “the world has changed”. In response, the President said that America must “out-invest, out-educate, and out-build” the rest of the world.

This is a good summary ...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

India, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and other countries have threatened to ban access for Canada-based Research in Motion’s BlackBerry devices in those countries. This is an example of the new types of barriers Canadian and global companies face when buying or selling ...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

The challenges Canada faces in taking full advantage of the global trade opportunities digitization presents are clear. A recent synthesis study (drawing on a range of studies including those from the Council of Canadian Academies and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity^1...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

Economist magazine senior editor Francis Caincross predicted in 1997 that information and communications technologies would mean the “death of distance.” That hasn’t quite happened.

For example, one Canadian study found that people are willing to pay four times more for service providers within ...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

In the past few years, entrepreneurs in downtown Toronto have created a host of smart phone apps for sale or use globally. A sample includes Crowdreel (which categorizes photos on Twitter), Sudoku3D (a 3D take on the classic Sudoku puzzle), and Dictionary.com. ...

Danielle Goldfarb Associate Director Global Commerce Centre

When it’s time to update your image, no need to go out to buy a new wardrobe or die your hair. For a fraction of the price, you can join Second Life, create a digital avatar, and buy your avatar some new ...

Kip Beckman Principal Research Associate, Economic Services

A decade or so ago, IBM played a series of commercials hyping the company’s spreading tentacles, reaching out to every part of the world. One commercial featured a fisherman cruising along the Nile while tapping into the wireless network. This image couldn’t ...

Despite rising gasoline prices and environmental concerns, Canadian sales of new light trucks, a category that includes SUVs, CUVs, vans and pick-up trucks, have been propelled to record levels over the past year. Indeed, 2010 will mark the first year in history that Canadians ...