Seeing the Economy through Colored Glasses: Partisanship in Macro and (not in) Micro Expectations Staff working paper 2026-24 Adrian Monninger, Kyung Woong Koh, Tao Wang Households report distinctive views of the macroeconomy along partisan lines, while their expectations about personal finances do not follow the same pattern. Economic inequality remains the major contributor to polarized views of the macroeconomy. Partisan politics are simply a magnifier. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E2, E21, E3, E30, E7, E71 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Real economy and forecasting
Monte Carlo Likelihood-Ratio Tests for Markov Switching Models Staff working paper 2026-23 Gabriel Rodriguez Rondon, Jean-Marie Dufour This paper develops Monte Carlo likelihood-ratio tests for determining the number of regimes in Markov switching models. Unlike most existing procedures, which focus on testing one versus two regimes, the proposed methods allow testing an arbitrary number of regimes. They are valid in finite samples, robust to identification problems, and applicable to nonstationary, multivariate, and Markov switching GARCH models. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C1, C12, C15, C2, C22, C3, C32, C4, C46, C5, C52, E, E3, E32 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Economic models, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
Supply and Demand-Driven inflation: Decomposition and policy implications Staff analytical paper 2026-33 Kira Kang, Rodrigo Sekkel, Temel Taskin, Jing Yang This note uses detailed expenditure data to decompose Canadian inflation into supply- and demand-driven components. The analysis sheds light on the drivers of post-pandemic inflation and shows that monetary policy primarily affects and responds to demand-driven inflation. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E5, E52, E58 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Measuring the AI Economy Staff working paper 2026-20 Anton Korinek, Patrick McKelvey We construct a macroeconomic estimate of total AI production in the United States, combining inference and R&D/training activities with quality adjustments to account for algorithmic progress. We then develop a nascent framework for "AI GDP" that tracks the AI economy as a coherent whole, complementing traditional national accounts. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C4, C43, E, E0, E01, E2, E22, E3, E31, O, O3, O33, O4, O47 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Digitalization and productivity
Unpacking interest rate uncertainty in 2025 Staff analytical paper 2026-25 Harshbir Kaur, Rishi Vala Amid heightened Canada–US trade tensions in 2025, financial markets showed signs that investors had greater difficulty anticipating near-term Bank of Canada interest rate decisions. We look at the Overnight Index Swap prices and intraday Government of Canada yields to identify the main driver of uncertainty around interest rate decisions. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): C, C5, C58, D, D5, D53, E, E4, E44, E5, E52, E58 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Central Bank Crisis Interventions and the Term Structure of Market Fear Staff working paper 2026-17 Mattia Bevilacqua, Jon Danielsson, Lerby Ergun, Andreas Uthemann, Jean-Pierre Zigrand How do central bank crisis interventions calm market fears? Using options data, we measure the perceived risk of large asset price drops across horizons from two weeks to ten years. Studying the Fed's response to the 2020 turmoil, we find asset purchases reduce short-term fears while interest rate actions shape long-term expectations. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C5, C58, E, E5, E58, G, G0, G01, G1, G12, G15 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods
Assessing global potential output growth: April 2026 Staff analytical paper 2026-20 Daniel de Munnik, Kristina Hess, Walter Muiruri, Tuuli McCully, Faiza Noor, Sabreena Obaid, Andrew Plummer, Louis Poirier, Abeer Reza, Jillian Schwartz We present the annual update of the Bank of Canada staff estimates for global potential output growth. These estimates served as key inputs to the analysis supporting the April 2026 Monetary Policy Report. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E1, E2, F, F0, F1, O, O3, O33, O4 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Demographics and labour supply, Digitalization and productivity
Climate Change and Socio-economic inequality in the US Staff working paper 2026-16 Barbara Sadaba, Tatjana Dahlhaus This paper examines how climate change affects income inequality across US states. Using a new climate-inequality VAR and a century of daily temperature data, it shows that shifts across the full temperature distribution—not just average warming—have diverse effects on within-state inequality. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C1, C11, C3, C32, D, D6, D63, Q, Q5, Q54 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Structural challenges, Climate change
Measuring how financial sector economists respond to the tone of Bank of Canada communications Sparks at Bank article Amanda Wang, Xu Zhang, Xinfen Han The words central banks use to explain policy decisions matter. They can, in some cases, affect financial markets just like changes in policy interest rates do. For this reason, we built a tool to track the tone of the Bank of Canada’s policy communications and assess how tone affects market perceptions. Content Type(s): Staff research, Sparks at Bank article Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Monetary policy tools and implementation
Examining the macro drivers of mortgage arrears in Canada Staff analytical paper 2026-12 Thomas Michael Pugh, Tao Wang, Taylor Webley Mortgage debt represents over 70% of all Canadian household financial liabilities, and the performance of these debts is critical to the health of the financial system. We explore the relationships between mortgage arrears and key macroeconomic fundamentals such as labour market variables, interest rates, house prices and inflation. We then develop a framework to assess future household mortgage stress. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E2, E3, E37, E5, G, G5, G51 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Household and business credit, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting