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Canada’s Inflation Climbs to 2.4% as Gas Prices Surge to Record High

  Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in March , up from 1.8% in February, as the Iran war triggered the largest monthly gasoline price increase on record . Statistics Canada reported that gas prices surged 21.2% month‑over‑month , a supply‑shock response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East instability.  Energy costs were the dominant driver of March inflation, with overall energy prices rising 3.9% year‑over‑year after a sharp decline the month before. Excluding gasoline, inflation would have eased to 2.2% , highlighting how concentrated the price shock was.  Food inflation offered mixed relief: grocery prices rose 4.4% , while fresh vegetables jumped 7.8% due to difficult growing conditions. Restaurant inflation cooled sharply as last year’s tax‑holiday distortions fell out of the annual comparison.  Economists note that while headline inflation spiked, core measures remained relatively tame , giving the Bank of Canada ro...
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Canada’s Job Market Remains Steady in December 2023



Canada’s economy added just 100 jobs in December and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month, compared with the first six months of 2023, when it averaged 48,000 per month. At the same time, average hourly wages increased 5.4 per cent year-over-year, following a rise of 4.8 per cent in November.

Canada’s job market remained steady in December 2023, with the economy adding just 100 jobs and the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.8 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. The data agency said that employment was virtually unchanged from November, following an increase of 25,000 jobs the previous month. Employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month, compared with the first six months of 2023, when it averaged 48,000 per month. At the same time, average hourly wages increased 5.4 per cent year-over-year, following a rise of 4.8 per cent in November. This is a significant increase in wages, which could help to offset the slower employment growth in the second half of the year.


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