Proof Point: Weak productivity is threatening Canada’s post-pandemic wage growth

February 28, 2024 |Nathan Janzen
Canadian wage growth has been unusually high, but looks more modest when measured against surging inflation and relative to acute labour shortages earlier in the pandemic recovery. Now lagging productivity in Canada (along with a softening labour market...
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RBC Canadian Inflation Watch

Canadian inflation outlook still murky but January CPI growth slowed

February 20, 2024 |Nathan Janzen and Abbey Xu
Canadian inflation outlook still murky but January CPI growth slowed Year-over-year CPI growth slowed to 3.2% in January from 3.4% in December. Energy and food price growth slowed, but the Bank of Canada’s preferred core measures of broader price pressure...
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End of the correction? Canada’s housing market is warming up

End of the correction? Canada’s housing market is warming up

February 14, 2024 |Robert Hogue
It may be the unusually mild weather or the modest drop in fixed mortgage rates since November—or both—but Canadian house hunters have more energy this winter. Importantly, they’re landing more deals. Home resales in Canada increased for the second month...
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Davos 2024: A year of creative destruction, or just destruction?

January 23, 2024 |John Stackhouse

The World Economic Forum is always a contradiction of hope and anxiety. This year’s version felt like peak paradox.

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December inflation readings edged up on mixed details

January 16, 2024 |Claire Fan and Abbey Xu
Energy component pushed headline inflation reading higher with food price growth holding steady after slowing for 5 straight months. The BoC’s preferred core CPI measures bounced higher, although the breadth of inflationary pressures over the last three...
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U.S. labour market ended the year with strength

U.S. labour market ended the year with strength

January 05, 2024 |Claire Fan, Economist, Royal Bank of Canada
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...
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Canadian labour markets ended 2023 with a whimper

January 05, 2024 |Nathan Janzen, Assistant Chief Economist, Royal Bank of Canada
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...
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Why it’s hard to talk about end-of-life planning and how to take the first step

December 12, 2023 |RBC Wealth Management

Finding the motivation to engage in estate planning and create a Will is all about having the right mindset.

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Moderating US inflation pressures extended in November

December 12, 2023 |Claire Fan
US headline inflation ticked down to 3.1% in November from 3.2% in October. Food and energy inflation both eased while core ex-food and energy inflation was little changed at 4%. Lower gasoline prices in November pushed energy inflation down further to...
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Black Friday spending surprised to the upside despite a softening macro backdrop

Black Friday spending surprised to the upside despite a softening macro backdrop

December 11, 2023 |Carrie Freestone
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...
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