Provincial Forecast
Get the latest Canadian economic forecasts to fully understand Canada’s provincial economic stance.
Delayed Reaction: Provincial Three-Year Outlook
Canadian Economics September 20, 2023
Spending is a hard habit to break. The Bank of Canada’s campaign to rid the economy of excess inflation has yielded results—but has required a booster dose of rate hikes. The result will be an extended period of flat economic performance ahead, peppered with a couple of quarterly contractions in GDP.
Online experience • 8-min read
Confidence drops to its lowest point since the start of the pandemic: Index of Consumer Confidence
Canadian Economics September 18, 2023
Recent inflation reports may have intensified concerns about the necessity for further interest rate adjustments from the Bank of Canada. This is notably due to the year-over-year uptick to 3.3 per cent in July, following the positive news of a brief decline to 2.8 per cent in June.
Online experience • 8-min read
Household Spending Continues to Dwindle: Index of Consumer Spending
Canadian Economics August 29, 2023
Throughout the month of June, the ICS experienced a steady deterioration, commencing from 87.7 points in the final week of May. Subsequently, during the weeks of June 4, 11, and 18, the index further declined from its initial starting point. Overall, it averaged 86.5 points in June, marking its lowest point since its inception.
Online experience • 8-min read
Online Job Postings Fall Again in July: Canadian Hiring Index
Canadian Economics August 24, 2023
July’s results provide more evidence of a slowdown developing in the Canadian labour market. Online job postings are a leading indicator of future hiring and offer insight into the future path of employment. Recent months have produced mixed signals, with job growth bouncing up and down from month to month.
Online experience • 8-min read
Battery Low: Canadian Outlook
Canadian Economics August 23, 2023
Canadian consumers kept a heavy foot on the pedal early this year, supporting spending on durables and keeping housing prices strong. With savings depleted and the Bank of Canada again riding the brakes, however, Canada’s economic batteries are getting depleted.
Online experience • 8-min read
Excess Baggage Won’t Impede Tourism’s Flight: Travel Markets Outlook
Canadian Economics August 23, 2023
Tourism activity in Canada remains below its pre-pandemic trajectory, three years after the pandemic first struck. But a steadier rhythm is returning. Fears of COVID-19 have eased and the impact of the pandemic is receding.
Online experience • 8-min read
The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Indigenous Tourism Businesses in Alberta
Indigenous & Northern Communities May 19, 2023
Based on the revised inventory, our findings indicate that at least 202 entrepreneurs and organizations participate in Alberta’s Indigenous tourism sector. These industries account for more than 30 Indigenous businesses and more than 75 per cent of all businesses. The gaming industry accounts for only five businesses, but most of them are significant employers.
Data Briefing • 10-min read
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Launching Canada’s Space Sector: Economic Impact of Spaceport Nova Scotia
Canadian Economics May 16, 2023
Canada’s first commercial spaceport—Spaceport Nova Scotia, a world-class facility to place satellites into polar and sun-synchronous orbits—is on track to be sited in Nova Scotia. It will be the first commercial launch complex in Canada. The satellites placed from here will lead the world in environmental monitoring, earth observation, imaging, broadband, and telecommunications.
Data briefing • 19-min read
Clean and Green but Not Very Lean: Our Analysis of the Federal Budget 2023
Canadian Economics March 29, 2023
With the fiscal shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic fading into the background, the federal government is now repositioning itself to address some of the structural issues ahead.
Commentary • 12-min read
Sprinting to Surplus: Our Analysis of the Ontario Budget 2023
Canadian Economics March 24, 2023
Despite the Ontario budget having the highest price tag for any provincial budget ever, the province’s revenue windfall means it will be ahead of schedule getting to surplus.
Commentary • 5-min read
Right Idea, Wrong Timing? Our Analysis of Quebec’s Budget 2023
Canadian Economics March 22, 2023
The Quebec Government issued Budget 2023 on Tuesday, putting forward tax cuts and additional spending at a time when inflation remains a concern.
Commentary • 5-min read
Hidden Shoals: Canadian Outlook
Canadian Economics May 10, 2023
Turmoil in the financial sector south of the border and in Europe has reminded us that the effort to tame price pressures through monetary tightening means different parts of the economy will land harder than others.
Online experience • 8-min read
Driving Growth by Following Opportunities: Provincial Outlook to 2045
Canadian Economics March 15, 2023
The lingering COVID-19 virus, supply chain challenges, war in Ukraine, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and in China and neighbouring countries take up much of our thoughts on what lies ahead, but many of those issues will fade as time goes on. Undoubtedly there will be other bumps and disruptions globally along the way over the next 20 years.
Online experience • 8-min read
Meet Our Expert
Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist
Pedro Antunes is the Chief Economist and primary spokesperson at The Conference Board of Canada. He provides insights and general direction for the Board’s economic products, including reports and economic indicators that relate to Canada and its regions and sectors.
Urban Growth
Canadian Economics January 23, 2023
Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary are the biggest census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada and have been major drivers of growth in the country. With a combined economic output of nearly $870 billion in 2019 (real 2012 dollars), their sheer size suggests that they’ve played an important role in shaping and driving the Canadian economy over time.
Issue briefing • 15-min read
Canadian Industries are Writing a New Chapter: Industry Lens
Canadian Economics January 20, 2023
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 • 8-min read
Signs of Slowdown: Manufacturing Sales, Volumes Both Decline in August
Canadian Economics October 14, 2022
Rapid interest rate hikes may finally be catching up. With the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate higher than it has been for over 14 years, it was only a matter of time before a slowdown came. The decline in manufacturing volumes in August may signal that that time has come.
Quick take • 3-min read
Tepid September Job Numbers Cap Off a Sluggish Third Quarter
Canadian Economics October 7, 2022
Recent months have seen a growing number of Canadians leave the workforce due to retirement. In September, 294,500 Canadians left their job in the previous year due to retirement. Retirements fell during the pandemic amid concerns over the rising cost of living and as pandemic restrictions, such as the inability to travel, incentivized many to delay their exit from the workforce.
Quick take • 3-min read
The “Canadian Experience” Disconnect
Immigration October 4, 2022
Canada has increasingly relied on international students and temporary foreign workers as future permanent residents over the last decade. The pandemic has further reinforced this trend. More immigrants with pre-admission work or study experience in Canada were admitted during the pandemic than in the preceding five years.
Impact paper • 31-min read
Manufacturing Sales Sees Decline in June Led by Petroleum and Coal Products
Canadian Economics August 15, 2022
Over-reliance on the U.S. market could hurt the Canadian auto sector in the long-run. In late July, Canadian automakers were relieved to hear that U.S. lawmakers finally agreed to propose an amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act, which would move away from only providing tax credits to American-made electric vehicles.
Quick take • 2-min read
