In This Economy?!

A recent report by Indeed Canada found that seasonal job postings are up 12% this year compared to 2024, which could offer some respite for those looking for work. Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate remains elevated for the month of October, sitting at 6.9%, while youth unemployment is basically double that at 14.1%. Host Mike Eppel speaks to Brendon Bernard, senior economist at Indeed Canada to break down the report and discuss how the interest in holiday jobs says more about the bigger picture of the state of the economy.

Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced his first budget earlier this week, announcing a $78.3 billion deficit, as well as other major investments in defence, AI initiatives and housing. Included in the 406-page report are changes to improving productivity by implementing corporate tax reforms to incentivize foreign investors, as well as accelerate domestic economic growth. Host Mike Eppel speaks to Mikaela McQuade, policy and economics partner at PWC Canada, to break down whether or not Carney's investment into solving the 'productivity problem' will actually yield the results Canada deserves.

No one likes checking their credit score and seeing a hit to the rating - even the Canadian government. Credit rating agencies are bracing for the upcoming November 4th federal budget, and with a lack of fiscal updates since the last federal budget under the Trudeau government, economists aren't quite sure what they should expect when it comes to the deficit. So just how deep could the red ink run? And will the minority federal government receive the backing from any of the opposition parties to get it passed through the House? Host Mike Eppel speaks to Randall Bartlett, Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins to discuss what former-banker-turned-Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has up his sleeve for the upcoming budget, and what he plans to do about a potentially ominously large deficit.

A recent report from the University of Ottawa shows 22 out of the 34 municipalities in Ontario were given failing grades in regards to taxes and red tape restrictions surrounding development acceleration. And unfortunately, Toronto seems to be wearing that 'F' right on its sleeve, reporting under 120 new condo sales in the month of August - a number that hasn't been that low in decades. And with the federal government making legislation to increase not just more housing, but affordable housing, how can we reignite builds? Host Mike Eppel speaks to Residential Construction Council of Ontario President Richard Lyall to get the answers.

One by one, companies are mandating their employees to kiss their hybrid work-from-home model goodbye and head back into the office. But what once was before the pandemic rocked society's work-life balance, is no longer, and companies need to take the extra mile to ensure their offices pose as a productive workspace for their employees to thrive in. Host of In This Economy!? Mike Eppel speaks to Sarah Bramley, Senior VP, Workplace Advisory for Colliers Canada. She co-authored a recent report that detailed the relationship between a great office space and increased productivity.

Finding a job is difficult for anyone right now, but especially for a certain sector. Young people are having difficulty finding work. In fact, the youth unemployment rate this summer has been up to nearly 15%. A new study is taking a look at the root causes and offering some possible solutions. Host of In This Economy!? Mike Eppel speaks to L.J. Valencia, one of the co-authors of the Desjardins report.

Being a farmer in Canada isn't easy at the best of times, and there's a new big challenge ahead. This week, China announced a hefty tariff on our canola products, which happens to be this country's largest agricultural export. Billions of dollars are at stake - so how damaging could this be? Host of In This Economy?! Mike Eppel speaks with Mike von Massow, a professor in the Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph.

As we approach the end of the summer, how is the economy actually doing and what can we expect for the rest of 2025? What does the data tell us about the impact of tariffs and what's really going on for Canadian businesses and households? Host Mike Eppel speaks to Don Drummond, economist and Staufford-Dunning Fellow at Queen's University and fellow in residence at the C.D. Howe Institute.

Despite all the noise about tariffs and their potential impact, it appears the Canadian economy is actually weathering the storm. An interest rate cut looked like a slam dunk a month ago and now, with signs that the economy isn't falling off a cliff, it's highly doubtful that those rates will be going down. So what to make of where we're at in this economy? How do you plan when things are so unpredictable? Host Mike Eppel breaks it down with Royce Mendes, Managing Director and head of Macro Strategy at Desjardins.

The civil service in Ottawa is bracing for layoffs. It comes after Finance Minister Francois-Phillippe Champagne was tasked with finding $25-billion dollars in savings to offset the biggest increase in defense spending in a generation. So how does that play in to our federal government's massive deficit? And how does that trickle down to you? Host Mike Eppel speaks with Dr. Wayne Petrozzi, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.