Author: Sherry Cooper

This morning, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released its March national real estate statistics showing home sales rose 1.1% from February to March, exceeding the previous monthly sales record set in April 2016. This strength in sales was boosted by a rebound in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, London and St. Thomas (Ontario)…

Canada’s economy continue to generate job growth in March, extending an employment rally that is the strongest in years, but with increasingly sluggish wage increases. Canadian employment grew by 19,400 in March–exceeding economists’ expectation for the fourth consecutive month–while the unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 6.7% as more people searched for work. This…

From Business News Network (BNN): Sherry Cooper, chief economist, Dominion Lending Centres talks to BNN about why the federal budget’s wait-and-see approach is prudent in light of uncertainty over Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S.

Budget 2017 continues the government’s commitment to support the middle class by enhancing Canada’s long-term growth potential. Investments to foster innovation, skills and the ability to attract top talent from around the world are included. An important and growing competitive advantage is Canada’s openness to trade and immigration, having a broader range of free trade…

This morning, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released its January national real estate statistics showing home sales declined 1.3% month-over-month in the first month of this year. This down draft put resales at their second lowest monthly level since the fall of 2015 and only  a bit above levels recorded last November when new…

Property prices around the world have benefited from the demand of foreign buyers, a.k.a. China’s capital outflows. China has issued unexpected rules on exchanging yuan for international currency. This could impact real estate around the world. Some argue it already has. China’s Clamp Down on Outflows As capital flight intensified, China’s reserves have plunged, causing…

January’s payroll gain was a huge 48,300 Statistics Canada said on Friday in Ottawa, well above economists’ forecast of a loss of 10,000 jobs. This follows a gain of a whopping 46,100 in December. The unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 6.8%. Employment growth has been strong since August. Canada posted the best…

Job growth in the US in January was better than expected, rising 227,000–up from 157,000 in December–according to the Labor Department report on Friday in Washington. While payrolls have been strong, however, wage increases remain disappointingly muted. The unemployment rate rose a tick to 4.8 percent, and average hourly earnings grew 2.5 percent year-over-year, the…

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reiterated in their press release today that the labor market is strengthening and the economy continues to expand at a moderate pace. The consumer is doing most of the heavy lifting as business investment remains soft, but both business and consumer confidence is rising. Inflation has ticked up, but…