Jock Finlayson
Canada, U.S. likely to apply brakes to post-pandemic inflation
While Canada seems unable to put the COVID-19 health crisis behind it, around the world economies are rebounding and the overall global outlook has improved. The April 2021 forecast from the...
Real estate rolling on rock-bottom costs of borrowing
Royal Bank economists recently published an update on the Canadian housing market. The findings are remarkable, considering the country is still mired in an epic health crisis, and there is much...
Less public debt, more private sector help key to Canada’s recovery
As Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland works to develop the federal government’s 2021 budget, she faces conflicting pressures and numerous constraints. To start, the country is still grappling with...
COVID’s creative destruction is cause for productivity optimism
Amid the human carnage and economic pain caused by the COVID-19 calamity, it is tempting to search for silver linings. One that is attracting interest among some economists is the prospect of a...
Outlook: Exports up and other reasons for cautious economic optimism in 2021
As we wave goodbye to a truly awful 2020, there are reasons to feel at least somewhat hopeful about the year to come. The first and most important is the arrival of vaccines against the virus that...
Stimulus, megaprojects buoy B.C. labour market during pandemic
As we reflect on the last 12 months, it’s an understatement to say 2020 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year, and not in a positive sense. The coronavirus and the resulting shuttering of...
Long-term recovery hinges on reshaping B.C. business environment
As Premier John Horgan puts the finishing touches on his new cabinet following the BC NDP’s decisive election win, he will be under pressure to reflect the priorities of the various elements of his...
Pandemic turns tables on industries hit hardest in previous recession
Following massive job losses in March and April, the number of people working in the province has been rebounding for five months now, punctuated by a healthy 55,000 jump in September. True,...
B.C. tourism and travel bear brunt of pandemic economic fallout
In looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the economy, one broad sector stands out for the extent of the damage inflicted on businesses and their employees: tourism and travel...
Innovation acceleration could be pandemic’s economic silver lining
The middle of a hurricane is not an ideal time to attempt to measure the full extent of the damage done by the storm. But as Canada’s experience with COVID-19 approaches the half-year mark, we find...