Insights

US labour market data ended 2023 with strength. Payroll employment was up 216k in December while the unemployment rate held at 3.7% after declining to that level the prior month. As was the case for much of the year, the employment gain in December was...

The December labour market data was mixed, but on balance adds to evidence that economic activity remained soft through Q4. Employment was essentially unchanged in December, the softest reading since a 6k decline last July. And the unemployment rate held...

Retail sales ticked up in November in the midst of the holiday shopping period. Even after adjusting for inflation, real retail sales (excluding autos) were tracking an increase relative to October. Clothing stores and gasoline were responsible for the...

There’s a lot of advice online, and a lot of misinformation. If you’re an executor, get the right advice for you.

The Wealthy Barber on why executors should consider getting help from the professionals.

Most of the drop in Canadian headline CPI growth to 3.1% year over year in October (just a touch above Bank of Canada’s 1% - 3% inflation target range) came from a 4.5% month over month decline in gasoline prices. That decline also pushed year-over-year...

The most striking trend that emerged in recent months has been the return of sellers to the housing market. September was a case in point where new listings increased sequentially in all major markets (for which early reports from local real estate boards...

Higher prices at the pump pushed Canadian headline inflation rate up. Food costs are still high but growing at a slower pace. Mortgage interest costs continue to drive a disproportionate share of headline price growth. But the Bank of Canada’s preferred...

RBC Economics provides a monthly analysis of the key indicators on price trends in the United States.