COVID

Domestic economic challenges related to the pandemic’s Omicron wave are starting to fade and are being replaced by challenges from afar. Apart from some modest federal masking mandates, vaccine requirements at the borders, and a few holdover policies in the provinces, economies pretty much opened up across the board this spring. Commerce leapt to life and labour markets tightened to degrees we have not seen in generations.

Online experience  |  8-min read
June 21, 2022

Once the pandemic loosens its grip on Canada and the world, economic growth will slow down sharply from the plus 4.0 per cent increase forecast for 2022 as the economy returns to some state of normalcy. Growth prospects are comparatively weak because the aging of Canada’s population will lead to a slowdown in labour force growth, which will limit consumer and investment spending.

Online experience  |  8-min read
June 21, 2022

This platform monitors progress toward a clean energy growth economy. It tracks the movement of indicators under three themes: economy, environment, and society. Since this platform was released in 2021, Canada’s energy transition has come into sharper focus. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan in March 2022, and the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (CNZEA) was introduced in July 2021.

Online experience  |  8-min read
June 9, 2022

Although wage growth remains below its pre-pandemic peak, it too has begun to accelerate as the final missing piece in the labour market puzzle falls into place. It is true that some individuals have not fully benefited from the recovery. But, in aggregate, Canada’s labour market is the tightest it has been in decades.

Issue briefing  |  9-min read
June 7, 2022

As businesses across Canada embark on a new era, there are plenty of bright prospects across several industries in the Canadian economy. But which sectors will come out ahead?

Online experience  |  2-min read
June 1, 2022

Tourism in Canada may have reached a turning point. Two years of pandemic malaise have battered the industry, but the fever might finally be lifting. Canada’s doors are opening to visitors from far and wide. Attitudes toward the pandemic are changing. And businesses are hiring in anticipation of better times ahead.

Online experience  |  8-min read
June 1, 2022

Canada lags behind other developed nations in health system investment in healthcare capital, strategies to stabilize capital investment, innovative capital financing tools, and capital planning and allocation. For the last two decades, methods to track the status of MI equipment have focused largely on the age and density of machinery per population catchment area.

Issue briefing  |  16-min read
May 25, 2022

Despite the rise in case counts from both the Omicron and BA.2 variants early in 2022, most Canadian cities have already seen restrictions loosened or dropped. We expect this to aid in the continued recovery of CMA economies across the country this year. It’s especially good news for the travel and tourism markets in each region, which so far have lagged most other industries in returning to their pre-pandemic levels.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 20, 2022

Everyone needs career options, including people with disabilities. The Conference Board of Canada, on behalf of the Future Skills Centre, is leading a study to support the job transitions of people with disabilities. The study aims to promote labour market retention and career mobility for this equity-deserving group.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 16, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

Our world has become more and more digital in recent decades. Prior to the pandemic, the pace of digitalization was consistently increasing with the non-stop introduction of new digital tools and technologies. The pandemic hit, and that pace accelerated even more.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 11, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

This is the third quarter in a row where the Index of Business Confidence has seen a decline. The last time the index experienced three consecutive declines was in 2014. Our latest survey indicates that firms continue to have concerns about the coming six months, especially when it comes to rising costs for capital and labour.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 6, 2022

From an economic perspective, the war has destroyed Ukraine’s economy and has severely damaged Russia’s as well. However, the war’s impact will not be confined to these countries. The conflict has added new risks to a world economy that was already struggling with rising inflation, bottlenecks in supply chains, and the lingering effects from the pandemic.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 6, 2022

Major forces are the trends that shape our world. They push our societies, businesses, and governments to recalibrate their decisions and pursue the opportunities they provide. For example, major forces such as climate change force businesses to become more sustainable, and an aging workforce requires governments to find creative solutions to social safety net challenges.

Issue briefing  |  22-min read
May 3, 2022

Transitioning to a hybrid workplace model will provide organizations with an opportunity to redefine their workplace culture. Transparency and clear communication when redefining workplace values and culture can give employees a sense of excitement and a renewed purpose. To encourage employee engagement, it is imperative that leaders collaborate with their employees on how to build and contribute toward a new workplace culture.

Online experience  |  8-min read
May 2, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is taking a huge human toll. It has been deeply disturbing to watch unfold. There are many different scenarios for how the war will go over the next few months—some worse than others. Our baseline view is that the Russian army will not extend its war beyond Ukraine’s border and that disruptions to the world supply of natural gas and oil will be limited and temporary.

Online experience  |  8-min read
April 29, 2022

E-commerce growth is being fuelled by retail innovation and shifting consumer behaviour. Consumers and businesses are increasingly comfortable with digital purchasing and attracted to the convenience and choice provided by digital shopping environments. Retailers are improving the quality of the online storefront experience and increasing the efficiency of logistics operations.

Issue briefing  |  14-min read
April 28, 2022

The Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had largely worked its way through the population this winter, and Canadians had been looking forward to life returning to normal. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, threw that hope out the window. While the human tragedies inside Ukraine’s borders make the impacts on Canada and Canadians seem tiny in comparison, the invasion does add plenty of future risks and unknowns to our outlook.

Online experience  |  8-min read
April 14, 2022

After two years of working remotely, many workers are reluctant to return to the office full-time, with most demanding at least some flexibility in where and when they work. As public health measures begin to lift, many employers are beginning to design and implement their return-to-the-office policies, with many choosing or considering a hybrid work model.

Issue briefing  |  9-min read
April 13, 2022

Across Canada, in-person learning opportunities for nursing students became limited or stopped completely at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet learning criteria, nursing programs had to pivot. For example, some expanded the use of virtual simulations and scenarios as an alternative to in-person care in hospitals, long-term facilities, or community-based experiences.

Online experience  |  8-min read
April 7, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

In 2016, the Government of the Northwest Territories launched Skills 4 Success, an initiative to develop education and training programs that more effectively respond to employer, community, and industry needs. Skills 4 Success has never been more relevant. As the territory confronts COVID-19, it also faces deeper challenges to renew and diversify its economy.

Online experience  |  8-min read
April 1, 2022

Innovation is important at the firm level, as organizations that innovate successfully enhance their competitiveness and position themselves for growth. Canada exhibits relatively weak innovation performance, while Nordic countries are recognized as global innovation leaders. Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway all outperform Canada on The Conference Board of Canada’s Innovation Report Card, which examines various indicators of innovation capacity, activity, and results. This has been the case for several years.

Impact paper  |  30-min read
March 28, 2022

Inflation has surged in Canada after remaining largely dormant since the end of the 2008–09 global recession. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, causing demand in the Canadian economy to collapse and holding the increase in consumer prices. However, a combination of factors, including the reopening of the economy, base effects, supply chain disruptions, soaring oil prices, and widespread shortages of semiconductors and other key products, has caused consumer prices to expand at a 4.0 to 5.0 per cent pace since the spring of 2021—well above the Bank of Canada’s upper target range.

Issue briefing  |  16-min read
March 25, 2022

As the population ages, retirement rates are increasing. At the same time, not enough young people or immigrants are entering the workforce to make up for the labour losses. Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced Canada’s immigration levels, further tightening the Canadian labour market. And COVID-related lockdowns and layoffs (e.g., in retail, hospitality) resulted in widespread resignations, with workers leaving for industries that were less impacted by public health restrictions and offered benefits such as remote work, less exposure to the virus, and increased stability.

Data briefing  |  7-min read
March 25, 2022

After a two-year roller coaster, the territorial economies are trending upward, driven by a bright outlook for many minerals extracted in Canada’s North. The tourism sector will also enjoy a much-needed boost in the short term following the loosening of travel restrictions in Canada and around the globe. And over the next two decades, travel activity in all three territories is poised to grow, as investments in infrastructure and a growing Canadian population drive a greater number of visits to the North.

Online experience  |  8-min read
March 24, 2022

The cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, with Canadian organizations getting attacked every single day. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have accelerated their digital transformation. However, the perimeters of Canada’s organizations have changed drastically, thereby increasing their risk profiles. For this reason, cybersecurity must not become an afterthought.

Impact paper  |  34-min read
March 23, 2022

A rise in national listings helped sales of existing homes to rise nearly 5 per cent in February, building on a 1 per cent gain in January. February's level was the second highest on record for that month, behind only the February 2021 figure. Listings nonetheless remain scarce, having trailed year-earlier levels for seven consecutive months, and the currently strong market should have no difficulty absorbing further listings increases over the near term at least.

Online experience  |  8-min read
March 23, 2022

The pandemic is refusing to go away quietly, leaving an indelible mark on short- and long-term prospects for the provincial economies. The rebound in output and employment to their pre-pandemic highs is nearly complete, but the COVID virus’s nasty habit of morphing into new variants is keeping Canada from getting to the next stage—reclaiming lost economic potential.

Online experience  |  8-min read
March 23, 2022

For several years, education and skills leaders and employers have been thinking and talking about the future of work. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the volume way up on those conversations. It has not been an easy time for employers: seven in 10 small businesses have taken on debt due to COVID-19, and four in 10 businesses say they do not anticipate normal profits again before early 2022.

Impact paper  |  17-min read
March 14, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

How can workers be sure they have the skills they will need to succeed? How we learn and demonstrate skills through qualifications is also changing. For example, while there is much uncertainty around the future of microcredentials, these new, short-term offerings are becoming increasingly common.

Impact paper  |  16-min read
March 10, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many plans for the post-secondary space, it accelerated positive changes: streamlined virtual learning options made learning more inclusive to older students and those living in remote communities, experiential learning opportunities were expanded outside of major cities, and enrollment across post-secondary education (PSE) programs increased. For many education stakeholders, these pandemic developments are key elements of how to re-envision existing PSIs to ensure a brighter future for Canada.

Impact paper  |  21-min read
March 3, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

The pandemic has intensified existing challenges. For example, the nearly two-thirds of rural households with no access to high-speed Internet have had much greater difficulty accessing school, work, and services than those living in urban areas with near-universal Internet access.

Impact paper  |  23-min read
February 17, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

Changing our built environment has tremendous potential to help Canadians live healthier lives. Throughout the pandemic of 2020–2022 we are learning lessons that can advance the thought process. But reflection is key to this advancement. Through a series of interviews and assessment, this report gathers new insights that inform: how the design of the built environment can contribute to community wellbeing and the research and editing of the Community Wellbeing Framework, version 2.

Impact paper  |  22-min read
February 8, 2022