October 2026 Business Outlook Survey https://www.bankofcanada.ca/?p=256392 Quarterly average, double-weighted balance of opinion* Quarterly average, double-weighted balance of opinion* quarterly August 1–21 August 1–21 daily August 22–September 30 August 22–September 30 daily August 1–21 (right scale) August 1–21 (right scale) daily August 22–September 30 (right scale) August 22–September 30 (right scale) daily Double-weighted balance of opinion* Double-weighted balance of opinion* daily May 2025 May 2025 daily September 2025 September 2025 daily December 2025 December 2025 daily March 2026 March 2026 daily August 1–21, 2026 August 1–21, 2026 daily August 22–September 30, 2026 August 22–September 30, 2026 daily Indicators of future sales, change compared with 12 months ago (balance of opinion*) Indicators of future sales, change compared with 12 months ago (balance of opinion*) daily Historical average balance of opinion, indicators of future sales Historical average balance of opinion, indicators of future sales daily Taking this action Taking this action daily Planning to take this action Planning to take this action daily Indicators of future export sales (balance of opinion*) Indicators of future export sales (balance of opinion*) quarterly Historical average balance of opinion, indicators of future export sales Historical average balance of opinion, indicators of future export sales quarterly Investment spending, change over the next 12 months (balance of opinion,* left scale) Investment spending, change over the next 12 months (balance of opinion,* left scale) quarterly Historical average balance of opinion, investment spending (left scale) Historical average balance of opinion, investment spending (left scale) quarterly Number of employees, change over the next 12 months (balance of opinion,† right scale) Number of employees, change over the next 12 months (balance of opinion,† right scale) quarterly Historical average balance of opinion, number of employees (right scale) Historical average balance of opinion, number of employees (right scale) quarterly Some or significant difficulty meeting an unexpected increase in demand (share of firms) Some or significant difficulty meeting an unexpected increase in demand (share of firms) quarterly Historical average share of firms citing either some or significant difficulty Historical average share of firms citing either some or significant difficulty quarterly Labour shortages (share of firms) Labour shortages (share of firms) quarterly Historical average share of firms facing labour shortages Historical average share of firms facing labour shortages quarterly Expected wage increase, change over the next 12 months (year-over-year percentage change) Expected wage increase, change over the next 12 months (year-over-year percentage change) quarterly Historical average, expected wage increase, change over the next 12 months Historical average, expected wage increase, change over the next 12 months quarterly Selling prices, magnitude of change over the next 12 months (double-weighted balance of opinion*) Selling prices, magnitude of change over the next 12 months (double-weighted balance of opinion*) quarterly Historical average double-weighted balance of opinion, selling prices Historical average double-weighted balance of opinion, selling prices quarterly Input prices, magnitude of change over the next 12 months (double-weighted balance of opinion*) Input prices, magnitude of change over the next 12 months (double-weighted balance of opinion*) quarterly Historical average double-weighted balance of opinion, input prices Historical average double-weighted balance of opinion, input prices quarterly Weighted average* of pass-through Weighted average* of pass-through daily BLP, 1-year-ahead BLP, 1-year-ahead daily BLP, 2-year-ahead BLP, 2-year-ahead daily BLP, 5-year-ahead BLP, 5-year-ahead daily BOS, over the next 2 years BOS, over the next 2 years daily 2224 2524 2924 324 1124 524 924 -3824 -5324 -2124 -924 2424 3624 5024 4824 3224 4824 4224 2624 2424 6024 3424 2024 2424 1824 2224 2824 2524 332445452330 392434452230 442441451830 202440452230 102443452130 272447451930 172428451730 82436451830 15243945203058637282 4243545193044637082 2230 21243845243031635682 3630 32243745283070638382 3830 4624351638333945193051638382 4230 5924291658334645253056636482 5130 5724171634334745253055636582 5230 3424291639335545303065639682 5430 4124241645334745263061638682 5530 4924171651335645343068639482 4830 4024331638335545373064639382 4730 27242516413357453730726310182 2730 142420163533314519303.03.248638082 1.9 2130 232420163633424526303.23.256636982 1.9 2430 162428163133504534303.03.262636382 1.9 3030 342411164233524531303.23.245637082 1.9 3730 162412162833464528302.83.236635482 1.9 3330 -5824-30162233274513301.43.211632882 1.5 -5330 -22242162633444525302.23.244636382 1.9 -2530 12426164333584533303.33.247637482 1.8 -630 422440164533464522302.53.2866311182 2.3 4730 812436166533614523304.03.272639282 2.8 8030 562446166733644536304.43.2776310782 3.0 4830 612447167733784541304.83.2996311782 4.43.32.63.7 4.43.22.6 5230 402442166333814540305.23.21126312882 4.73.42.83.8 4830 572437166633794542305.83.211063128825.43.62.6 5.13.32.64.8 5.53.42.5 6630 53.40182429164733764546304.93.2706375825.63.52.6 5.63.42.64.2 5.03.12.5 2930 35.37112420163533694538304.73.2716375824.83.02.5 4.73.12.34.0 4.73.12.5 3330 34.13102419164533594531304.73.2726382824.32.92.4 4.63.22.73.9 4.12.92.6 2930 26.9382414163433474530304.53.2566373823.82.72.7 3.92.92.63.5 3.82.82.4 -530 21.470247162733464532304.33.2666382823.52.82.7 3.82.82.53.3 3.42.72.5 1030 9.50-102422162133454527304.13.2576371823.72.62.4 3.52.82.63.2 3.42.72.5 1430 19.334240163233544522304.13.2636373823.22.72.4 3.02.62.63.0 3.12.52.4 -230 21.03-12411162633444515303.43.2676386823.32.62.5 3.32.72.63.0 2.92.52.5 1030 21.0711249162833474518303.53.2516380822.92.52.5 2.82.62.62.5 2.62.42.5 3430 19.07302432163333394517303.33.2706387822.42.32.4 2.72.52.72.5 2.82.62.7 4730 8.4322243161833334520303.43.2776388822.82.42.5 3.32.92.72.6 3.62.82.5 3330 5.77-6247162333394516303.23.2706371823.72.92.4 3.32.92.82.7 2.92.72.6 930 18.370247162533344513303.03.2626372822.82.62.5 3.32.92.72.5 2.92.72.6 330 19.60132414161633334522303.33.2546383822.92.72.6 3.22.82.82.6 3.02.92.8 2330 21.73242429163833404521303.53.2586382822.92.82.8 3.02.82.82.6 3.32.92.8 2430 14.00152430162733354516303.23.29063111823.93.02.8 3.63.02.73.2 3.32.82.7 5030 20.47422426162833454519303.43.2766394823.22.72.6 3.22.82.73.1 3.73.12.7 6030 25.517.1 5.81.6 3.23.7 -45.16 -40.57 -30.11 -32.93 -3.98 -27.40 50.0049.5448.5745.6442.0747.40 36.0531.9133.9730.8726.2031.51 9.710.9 6.27.2 6.95.6 5.66.2 5.65.3 6.24.0 5.94.0 2.55.0 1.94.4 26 44