News

• January 15, 2024

  Business Outlook Survey—Fourth Quarter of 2023

  Results from the Business Outlook Survey and the Business Leaders’ Pulse show that with high interest rates and soft demand, firms’ sales growth has slowed over the past 12 months. Firms are less optimistic about current business conditions than they were last quarter, but they expect their sales growth to stabilize in the coming year. With competition returning and demand remaining soft, businesses’ pricing behaviour is slowly returning to normal.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Business Outlook Survey
• January 15, 2024

  Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations—Fourth Quarter of 2023

  Consumers believe inflation has fallen, but their expectations for inflation in the near term are showing little progress in returning to pre-pandemic levels. Slow progress may be due to persistently high inflation expectations for services such as rent. In addition, consumers increasingly think domestic factors, such as high government spending, are supporting high inflation, and they believe these factors will take longer to resolve than global factors. Consumers have adjusted their behaviour in response to prolonged high inflation—more people are paying attention to inflation and changing their spending habits. However, actions that may support inflation, such as seeking wage increases to offset it, are dissipating. The negative effects of high interest rates are broadening, and indicators of household financial stress are deteriorating. Consumers remain uncertain about the economic outlook, and this uncertainty is weighing on their spending plans. Workers think the labour market has weakened slightly. However, expectations for wage growth remain high, supported by cost-of-living adjustments in some workers’ wage contracts.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations
• December 20, 2023

  Summary of Governing Council deliberations: Fixed announcement date of December 6, 2023

  This is an account of the deliberations of the Bank of Canada’s Governing Council leading to the monetary policy decision on December 6, 2023.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Summary of deliberations
• December 15, 2023

  Lessons learned and looking ahead

  Speech summary Tiff Macklem Canadian Club Toronto Toronto, Ontario

  In his year-end remarks, Governor Tiff Macklem discusses how lessons learned from recent economic volatility are reshaping the way the Bank of Canada conducts economic analysis and communicates with the public.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Economic models, Expectations, Inflation and prices, Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Labour markets, Monetary policy, Monetary policy and uncertainty, Monetary policy communications, Monetary policy transmission, Price stability
• December 7, 2023

  What population growth means for the economy and inflation

  Speech summary Toni Gravelle Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Windsor, Ontario

  Speaking a day after we decided to hold interest rates steady at 5%, Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle discusses immigration, inflation and the role that newcomers play in helping our economy grow.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Domestic demand and components, Housing, Inflation and prices, Interest rates, Labour markets, Monetary policy, Potential output, Price stability, Recent economic and financial developments
• December 6, 2023

  Bank of Canada maintains policy rate, continues quantitative tightening

  Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario

  The Bank of Canada today held its target for the overnight rate at 5%, with the Bank Rate at 5¼% and the deposit rate at 5%. The Bank is continuing its policy of quantitative tightening.

  Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
• November 29, 2023

  What we heard: Bank of Canada publishes report on digital dollar consultations, outlines further engagement plans

  Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario

  The Bank of Canada today published a report summarizing the feedback it has received to date about a potential digital Canadian dollar.

  Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
• November 28, 2023

  Moving money with confidence: Canada’s new regime for retail payments supervision

  Remarks Ron Morrow Central 1 Momentum Summit Vancouver, British Columbia

  Executive Director of Supervision Ron Morrow discusses the creation and coming into force of a new supervision regime to oversee retail payments.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks Topic(s): Retail payments supervision
• November 27, 2023

  Bank of Canada announces finalists for the ninth annual Governor’s Challenge

  The Bank of Canada has announced the five finalist teams in the 2023–24 edition of The Governor’s Challenge, a competition where university students simulate the role of advisor to the Bank’s Governing Council.

  Content Type(s): Press, Announcements Source(s): The Governor's Challenge
• November 22, 2023

  Fighting to get back to low inflation

  Speech summary Tiff Macklem Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce Saint John, New Brunswick

  Governor Tiff Macklem outlines how high inflation is hurting Canadians and how monetary policy is working to bring it down. He also explains why the Bank of Canada must stay the course in its inflation fight.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Inflation and prices, Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Labour markets, Monetary policy, Price stability