Recent economic and financial developments

• COVID-19’s impact on the financial health of Canadian businesses: An initial assessment

  Staff Analytical Note 2021-8 Timothy Grieder, Mikael Khan, Juan Ortega, Callie Symmers

  Despite COVID-19 challenges, bold policy measures in Canada have helped businesses manage cash flow pressures and kept insolvency filings low. But the impact of the pandemic has been uneven, and the financial health of some firms may further deteriorate over the next year.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Credit and credit aggregates, Financial stability, Firm dynamics, Recent economic and financial developments, Sectoral balance sheet JEL Code(s): G, G3, G31, G32, G33, G38
• April 27, 2021

  Opening Statement before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance

  Opening statement Tiff Macklem House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Ottawa, Ontario

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Opening statements Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Financial stability, Monetary policy, Recent economic and financial developments

• Update on housing market imbalances and household indebtedness

  Staff Analytical Note 2021-4 Mikael Khan, Olga Bilyk, Matthew Ackman

  Exceptional strength in the housing market during the pandemic is underpinning Canada’s economic recovery. However, two key vulnerabilities—housing market imbalances and elevated household indebtedness—have intensified.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Credit and credit aggregates, Financial stability, Housing, Recent economic and financial developments, Sectoral balance sheet JEL Code(s): D, D1, D14, D8, D84, E, E5, G, G2, G21, G28, R, R2, R21
• March 11, 2021

  COVID-19, savings and household spending

  Remarks (delivered virtually) Lawrence L. Schembri Restaurants Canada Toronto, Ontario

  Deputy Governor Lawrence Schembri talks about the Bank’s latest interest rate announcement and discusses how COVID-19 has affected savings and the outlook household spending.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Domestic demand and components, Monetary policy, Recent economic and financial developments, Service sector
• March 11, 2021

  Household consumption in a pandemic

  Speech summary Lawrence L. Schembri Restaurants Canada Toronto, Ontario

  Deputy Governor Lawrence Schembri talks about how COVID-19 has affected household saving and spending patterns and discusses the Bank’s decision yesterday to leave the policy rate unchanged.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Domestic demand and components, Monetary policy, Recent economic and financial developments, Service sector

• The Bank of Canada COVID‑19 stringency index: measuring policy response across provinces

  Staff Analytical Note 2021-1 Calista Cheung, Jerome Lyons, Bethany Madsen, Sarah Miller, Saarah Sheikh

  We construct an index that systematically measures and tracks the stringency of government policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across Canadian provinces. Researchers can use this stringency index to analyze how the pandemic is affecting the economy.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Domestic demand and components, Recent economic and financial developments, Regional economic developments JEL Code(s): E, E2, E20, H, H7, I, I1, I18, R, R1
• February 23, 2021

  Working toward a shared recovery

  Speech summary Tiff Macklem Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

  Governor Tiff Macklem discusses how the economy and jobs could be different after the COVID-19 pandemic and what we can do to ensure that everyone benefits as the labour market recovers.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Labour markets, Monetary policy, Potential output, Recent economic and financial developments
• February 23, 2021

  Canada’s labour market: rebound, recuperation and restructuring

  Remarks (delivered virtually) Tiff Macklem Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and Calgary Chamber of Commerce Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

  Governor Tiff Macklem talks about the COVID-19 pandemic and major economic forces are affecting the labour market, and the need for all groups to benefits from the recovery.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Labour markets, Monetary policy, Potential output, Recent economic and financial developments
• November 26, 2020

  Opening Statement before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance

  Opening statement Tiff Macklem House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Ottawa, Ontario

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Opening statements Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Financial stability, Monetary policy, Recent economic and financial developments
• November 23, 2020

  Taking the pulse of Canada’s financial system

  Speech summary Toni Gravelle Autorité des marchés financiers Montréal, Quebec

  Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle discusses how the Bank of Canada is carefully monitoring our financial system as the economy recovers from the COVID‑19 pandemic.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial stability, Recent economic and financial developments