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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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Canadian Inflation Climbs to 1.9% in January as Core Measures Edge Higher

 

Canada’s annual inflation rate in January rose modestly to 1.9%, up slightly from December’s 1.8% . The increase was largely driven by a surge in energy prices—especially gasoline and natural gas—which counterbalanced the downward pressure on prices provided by the recent GST/HST tax break on select goods ; additional details were outlined by Statistics Canada.

Core inflation measures, which exclude the more volatile food and energy components, also recorded an uptick. Both the CPI-median and CPI-trim indexes climbed to 2.7%, indicating persistent underlying price pressures despite headline inflation staying near the Bank of Canada’s target range of 1–3%.

Analysts suggest that while the tax holiday helped ease food price inflation—leading to declines in some categories—the rebound in energy costs has nudged overall inflation upward. With the temporary tax break now ended, economists will be closely monitoring upcoming data to determine if this modest rise is a temporary anomaly or a sign of more entrenched inflationary pressures.

By keeping a keen eye on core inflation metrics, policymakers and market watchers alike are preparing for future monetary decisions aimed at keeping inflation in check as new data emerges.


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