When the Bank of Canada changes its policy interest rate, it affects every part of the economy – but that does not happen all at once. Learn more about how raising and lowering interest rates takes effect through the monetary policy transmission mechanism.
Differences in income, wealth and debt across households are important—for the economy, for the health of the financial system and for monetary policy.
More education typically leads to higher pay, but as more people become educated, wages can decrease. Your education choices significantly affect your future earning potential.
The Bank of Canada has taken many actions to support Canadians since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. These include large-scale asset purchases—buying a substantial amount of government bonds and other financial assets. Our purchases serve two purposes. They help key financial markets work properly, and they can help increase spending in the economy. This leads to more employment and stronger economic growth.
The pandemic and related measures to control the spread of the virus have deeply affected Canadians and the Canadian economy. The impacts have been different across sectors and regions. The economic recovery will also vary across the country as local economies start to reopen.
When the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear, the Bank moved quickly to adapt its internal operations and support business continuity in our financial system.