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5 Things to Know Today: 68,300 Jobs Lost, Loonie at 18-Month Low, BoC Hike Odds Fade

  CANADIAN MONEY BRIEF | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026 Canada's job losses pile up, the loonie slides to an 18-month low and the Bank of Canada's rate-hike case weakens. Here's what matters for your wallet this long weekend. 1 Canada lost 68,300 jobs in September Statistics Canada reported 68,300 fewer jobs in September, far worse than the roughly 9,200 gain economists polled by Reuters expected. The unemployment rate rose to 6.5% from 6.4%. It follows a 41,700 drop in August, which means Canada has now lost a net 41,200 jobs in 2026 (versus a gain of 211,300 at this point last year). Education plus health care and social assistance lost 58,400 jobs, manufacturing fell by 12,700 and youth employment (ages 15 to 24) dropped by 48,000. The participation rate slid to 64.8%, its lowest in 29 years outside the pandemic. What it means for you: Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 2.3% year over year, which is slower than August inflation of 3.0%. If your pay isn'...

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Food Prices Expected to Rise 3-5% in 2025

 

A newly released report predicts that food prices in Canada will increase by 3% to 5% in 2025. The report, a collaborative effort by researchers from Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of British Columbia, forecasts that the average Canadian family of four will spend $16,833.67 on food next year, an increase of up to $801.56 from 2024.

The report attributes the rise in food prices to several factors, including climate change, geopolitical conflicts, energy costs, and the weakening Canadian dollar. Meat prices are expected to rise between 4% and 6% due to prolonged droughts affecting cattle production. Vegetable prices are also anticipated to increase faster than other categories due to the lower buying power of Canadian food importers.

Despite the projected increase, the report notes that the rate of food price growth has moderated compared to the double-digit increases experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers remain cautiously optimistic, hoping for a flattening out of food price increases in the coming year.



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